Addressing the faithful on March 15, the day of the “Derzhavnaya” Icon of the Mother of God (“The Reigning Icon”), Metropolitan Luke of Zaporozhye and Melitopol pointed to what he sees as the core causes of the tragedy in Ukraine:

There were people of unnatural dispositions even before Sodom and Gomorrah, but in these cities, as soon as sin became regarded as a norm protected by law, fire and brimstone rained down on their residents.

Has anyone hoped that the Kiev-Pechersk Saints would simply sit back and watch sodomites parading in Kiev — the cradle of Orthodoxy of Holy Russia? Or would the Mother of God remain indifferent to that fathers and mothers in Her realm would be renamed “Parent No. 1” and “Parent No. 2”? I'm not mentioning other disgusting things that have been happening on our holy land.

Someone would ask, “What are the faults of those who had nothing to do with all this?” I’ll tell you — it’s our indifference. We accepted everything, we "humbled ourselves", we thought, "let them do whatever they want, just leave us alone and let us live." But it doesn't happen like that! He who is not with God is against Him! Not only does the sun shine on the good and the evil, but the rain of God's wrath also falls on both.

Everyone keeps asking, "When this will end?" Not soon, because there is no repentance!

There is only one way to stop the war — turn to God. But it looks like people don't even think about it. “An angry judgment has come upon us, and the joy of your people has been scattered, we all weep and weep, and we say: 'Oh, the sword of God, when will you stop? Have mercy on us...'"