Ukrainian nationalists shelled the Orthodox Holy Dormition Nikolo-Vasilyevsky monastery in the Donetsk diocese, the website of the Russian Orthodox Church reported August 8.

There is not a single building left intact, and the monastery's Holy Dormition Cathedral has been seriously damaged. Some of the monks, nuns and refugees, who are seeking shelter in the monastery, were killed in the shelling, there are others, who were injured.

The monastery has been subject to daily heavy shelling from the Ukrainian side since March 2022. 

The Ukrainian military are currently getting the firing instructions and target coordinates  from NATO and US advisors, and are fighting with NATO-supplied weapons and ammunition.

On July 13, elderly people from the monastery almshouse and refugees with children were evacuated from the monastery under fire. That same day, another round of shelling destroyed the dormitory   and workshops, the cathedral was hit and suffered considerable damage.September 7, the monastery was shelled twice, morning and evening, wreaking havoc on the monastery. The chapel and the dormitory were badly hit. One of the residents was wounded as a shrapnel tore off his hand. One of the shells destroyed the electric power generator.

The monastery, which currently houses 78 civilians – monks, nuns and refugees, was left without electricity and water supply. The humanitarian group of the Russian veteran organization “Combat Brotherhood” made it to the monastery and brought with them a generator, food and medical supplies.

The monastery's residents thanked them for their help and said they would not leave the monastery.

The Holy Dormition Nikolo-Vasilyevsky (St. Nicholas’ and St. Basil’s) monastery is located in the village of Nikolskoye in the Volnovakha district of the Donetsk Peoples’ Republic. It is the largest of the newly established monasteries in Ukraine. It was founded in 1998 by one of the most famous Ukrainian XX century elders - Schema-Archimandrite Zosima (Sokur).