Sloviansk, June 17, 2014
Prewar photo
On June 16, after the evening service the Cathedral of St. Alexander Nevsky and the cathedral grounds in Sloviansk were shelled by the Ukrainian army, reports the Sloviansk and Horlivka Diocese’s press service.
Head of the St. Alexander Nevsky Deanery of Sloviansk Archpriest Nikolai Fomenko relates:
“Yesterday after the evening service, artillery shelling of the city from the mountain Karachun started again. Our Cathedral of St. Alexander Nevsky is situated right below it. They aimed at the church, of course. The department store “Mayak” (“Lighthouse”) is located just several meters from it. The mortar hit its roof, the corner of the building has been smashed. At the railway station many trees were brought down, leads are torn. It is not clear what the shooters wanted and what they sought.
Glory to God, nobody is injured. The blast blew off the bell tower roof in one place; but on the whole, thank God, nothing elseis damaged; even the windows are intact.
The department store is just a point of sale; there are no headquarters or roadblocks of the volunteer corps members around us. I feel certain that their target was the church: the mortar passed right between the central dome and the bell tower. This is another miracle! Alexander Nevsky has saved our shrine”.
