Photo: Zaporizhzhia regional police

A morning rocket attack by Russian troops on Zaporizhzhia caused significant damage to St Andrew’s Cathedral of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, local media outlet RIA Pivden reported.

Damage to the cathedral
The blast wave severely damaged both the exterior and interior of the church. The ceiling was destroyed, and the church’s decoration and icons were severely damaged. Although the roof of the cathedral remained intact, it is not safe to be in the building.

According to the rector of the church, two people were in the cathedral at the time of the explosion – a duty officer and a parishioner. Fortunately, they were not injured.

The missile attack took place on 18 January in the morning, when Russian troops struck again at the civilian infrastructure of Zaporizhzhia. St Andrew’s Cathedral, as an important spiritual centre of the city, became one of the targets of Russian aggression.

The local community and religious leaders condemn the shelling and note that the attack on religious buildings is not only a war crime, but also an act of barbarism aimed at destroying the spiritual heritage of Ukraine.