A Ukrainian evangelical has spoken of the ‘awful tragedy’ in which a pastor’s daughter was killed in a Russian drone strike.
The attack in March killed 12 people in an apartment block in Odesa on the Black Sea coast. They included a young mother called Anna, and her small baby. Anna was the daughter of Pastor Nikolai, a respected Baptist minister in the city.
Igor Bandura, Senior Vice President of the Evangelical Baptist Union of Ukraine, told en: ‘Pastor Nikolai’s church has, since Ukraine became independent in 1991, been one of the most active in Odesa. It has developed a publishing house and a Bible Institute and planted at least four new churches. The war has provided further opportunities for ministry, as it has experienced the same sufferings many local people have.
‘This has been the most awful tragedy. Anna’s funeral was live-streamed to 200,000 people and featured some very painful testimonies, but at the same time those attending were filled with hope. They were broken – but their hearts were not broken. Despite it being so difficult, many had the courage to speak about the hope they had in God and urged people to reconcile with God.
‘There have been many tragedies in this war. But when it happens to people we know personally it hurts in a special way, and is so much harder to deal with. We need to continue to pray for a just peace in Ukraine, bearing in mind the spiritual dimension to the conflict – I have no doubt Satan is behind it all.’
