Occupiers fired on Orthodox Sviatohirsk Lavra: refugees and monks were hiding there

During hostilities on the territory of the city of Sviatohirsk, Donetsk region, on March 12, the premises of the Assumption Sviatohirsk Lavra, where monks and refugees were staying, were damaged.

This is stated on the website of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

"As the Sviatohirsk Lavra noted, on March 12 during the shelling of the city because of the explosion of an explosive device near the monastery, the Lavra premises were damaged the from the blast wave, where the monastery brothers and many refugees lived," the statement said.

As noted in the message, almost all the windows were broken, church buildings were destroyed to varying degrees.

The bishop said that the aircraft bomb exploded near the bridge connecting the right and left banks of the Siversky Donets River, which is located at the entrance to the Sviatohirsk Lavra.

Due to the terrible force of the explosion, window frames flew out in the temples of the Lavra. In the Lavra hotels, an explosive wave smashed all the windows and doors.

Several of the wounded were taken to the hospital in Sviatohirsk, the rest were treated at the monastery. No one was killed.

On the night of March 12-13, all refugees and brothers were evacuated to the monastery basements.

There are currently 520 refugees in the Sviatohirsk Lavra, including 200 children. There are about 10,000 refugees and locals in the town of Sviatohirsk.

The leadership of the Lavra informs that there were no military formations on the territory of the monastery and the city.

Note.

Holy Dormition Sviatohirsk Lavra of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church is a monastery in Sviatohirsk (Donetsk region). The monastery is located on the high right bank of the Siversky Donets (the so-called Holy Mountains).

Besides ground buildings, it has Cretaceous caves.

The first written mention of this monastery dates back to 1526.