Hiding from kamikaze drones, applying a hemostatic tourniquet, and army radio regulations. Thirty-five students of the master's and bachelor's degrees of the Don Theological Seminary donned bulletproof vests and went to the training ground in the Rostov region to practice the skills needed in the combat zone.

The field training began with the main thing — the Divine Liturgy in the dugout church of Archangel Michael. The service was performed by the heads of the diocesan departments for cooperation with the Armed Forces and the Cossacks, Archpriests Valery Voloshchuk and Georgy Smorkalov. The future priests prayed and began the Chalice together with active military personnel and volunteers.

After exchanging their liturgical vestments for body armor, the seminarians began intensive training. Under the guidance of military instructors, they worked out algorithms for surviving missile danger, the basics of tactical medicine, and the use of radiation and chemical protection. The students, who do not have holy orders, studied the handling of small arms and working tactics in urban areas. The program also includes control of FPV drones and driving vehicles at the tankodrome.

The modern ministry of a military priest is inseparable from the constant risk to life. A pastor on the front line does not have a deep theological education enough — he must understand the harsh realities of military life, be able to provide first aid to a wounded soldier and know how to survive under fire in order to be able to bring the Holy Gifts to the flock. Immersing seminarians in the conditions of modern combat is a tough but necessary training for those who will leave tomorrow to feed the Christ—loving army.