Donetsk diocese will assess the destruction of churches and monasteries

The Donetsk diocese will assess the damage caused to churches and monasteries by the actions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU). This was announced by Metropolitan Vladimir of Donetsk and Mariupol on Tuesday, November 19.

"Now we need to find out the overall scale of destruction. Therefore, in the near future we will conduct a comprehensive monitoring and focus on those temples, monasteries that can already be restored. It is still impossible to fully assess the damage, because some churches are in the combat zone - there is no physical access to them yet," he said in an interview with the Donetsk News Agency (DAN).

According to the metropolitan, the destruction of many churches makes worship difficult. He noted that secular authorities and church structures, as well as volunteers, are actively involved in the restoration of churches, following numerous requests from residents.

Earlier, on October 31, it was reported that during the AFU shelling of Avdeevka in the DNR, the Church of St. Mary Magdalene was damaged. The windows in the temple were broken and the facade was badly cut by shrapnel. One of the corners under the bell tower was shattered. Items on the grounds also sustained damage.

The special operation to protect Donbass, the start of which Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on February 24, 2022, continues. The decision was taken against the background of the aggravated situation in the region.