To stand alongside - “Бути поруч” - is a principle that captures the heart of Andrii's chaplaincy ministry. A military chaplain is often called to be present precisely when ordinary human words are no longer enough. Andrii supports bereaved families and prays with the wives, children and parents of those who have given the most precious thing they had - their lives - in defence of their land and their people. At times, he has had to bring a family the devastating news that someone they love will not be coming home, and then find the strength to remain beside them through the difficult hours that follow.

Today Ukraine still needs both spiritual and practical support. The war has brought deep wounds to our nation. Civilians affected by the war, displaced people and refugees continue to need care, while our heroic defenders need to know that the Church stands with them and prays for them. Chaplains serving in the East have a particularly important ministry, standing alongside both defenders and civilians in some of the most difficult places and bringing encouragement, prayer and the Word of God.

Our teams of volunteers and chaplains regularly travel to the Donetsk and Kharkiv regions, close to some of the most difficult areas of fighting. There are personal risks involved, and we cannot share everything we do because the security and privacy of our defenders must always come first. But we believe this is part of God's calling for us.

We bring practical aid, distribute Bibles, share the Gospel, work alongside local churches and support our heroic defenders. Yet after years of doing this work, I have learned that sometimes the most valuable thing we bring is simply human love.

The National Prayer for Ukraine continues every year, bringing together up to 10,000 people. On 4 July 2026, more than 3,000 people gathered in Kyiv, including over 30 Bishops and Leaders representing the Christian confessions of Ukraine, together with hundreds of volunteers, musicians and a live orchestra. It was a blessed atmosphere as together we placed our hope in God's Hands, remembering the promise of 2 Chronicles 7:14 – when God's people humble themselves, pray and seek His face, He will hear from heaven and heal (bring peace) their land.

When Russia first invaded Crimea and the Donetsk region in 2014, the lives of thousands of Ukrainians changed almost overnight. Communities were divided, families were displaced and people suddenly found themselves living with the reality of war.

From the very beginning, our team of Christian volunteers understood that in such circumstances the Word of God had a special importance. At a time of fear, uncertainty and attempts to distort the truth, people needed something that would not change – the eternal truth and values on which they could build their lives and their future.