In Luhansk, the Church helps victims of a rocket hit in a residential building. Priests and sisters of mercy are on duty in the hospitals where the victims were taken. Representatives of the diocese bring drinking water, food, dishes and cans of fuel for generators to the operational headquarters for the elimination of the consequences of the strike on a daily basis. Priests perform funeral services at the scene of the tragedy, as well as provide spiritual support during identification.
"We arrived at the place immediately after arrival and performed a requiem mass. It is very important to provide victims and their relatives not only with spiritual support, but also with material support. After all, they lost all their acquired property, their home," said Archpriest Alexander Bespalov, head of the Department of the Lugansk Diocese for social service.
Requests for help are accepted by calling the hotline number of the Synodal Department for Church Charity and Social Service at 8 800 70-70-222. The line is open around the clock, the call is free.
You can support residents in the conflict zone on the help.rf website.
The Russian Orthodox Church has been helping in the zone of armed conflict since the first days. The Synodal Department for Charity has allocated over 462 million rubles to help the injured civilians. The Church has collected, purchased and transferred more than 3,760 tons of humanitarian aid to the conflict zone. More than 2,000 Orthodox volunteers traveled to the war zone to care for hospital patients and provide social assistance to the victims.