Standing stark black against the sky, throughout Ukraine the ruins of once beautiful churches are the many daily reminders of the hideousness of war. According to the latest count nearly 40 churches, chapels, and monasteries, in the Severodonetsk diocese alone, have been severely shelled and left either irreparably damaged or else completely destroyed.

While it is near impossible to know the true extent of the damage, as there are still active military operations in some of these locations, there is no doubt of their ruin. As the Severodonetsk diocese reported on their official Telegram channel;

"The scale of the destruction of the shrines is colossal, as well as the entire infrastructure of our region, so it is difficult to even imagine how much time and money it will take to restore everything. Objectively speaking, it means rebuilding," said Metropolitan Nicodemus.

The destruction did not spare even one of the most famous churches in Ukraine; the Church of the Pochaev Icon of the Mother of God in Rubizhne. Below are pictures of some of the bleakest examples;

The second St. Mitrofanovsky Church in Lysychansk almost completely destroyed 

The damaged church in honor of St. Theodosy of Chernigov in the village of Mikhailovka

The Second Church of St. Mitrofanovsk in Lysychansk damaged by fire as a result of shelling

The damaged church in Lysychansk

The damaged church in the village Voronovo

Shrine of Blessed Matrona of Moscow in Rubizhne

The chapel in honor of the icon of the Mother of God "Life-bearing well" on the territory of the church of Pochaev icon of the Mother of God in Rubizhne