Video Message of the Head of the UGCC on the 190th Week of the Full-Scale War, October 5, 2025
Glory to Jesus Christ!
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ!
The 190th week of the terrible war has passed in Ukraine—a war that claimed the lives of Ukrainian children this week, a war that brought destruction to our cities and villages every day.
Last Sunday, we were even forced to celebrate morning services in the Patriarchal Cathedral in a shelter together with our people, who were hiding from missiles and drones in the bosom of their mother Church. This week, our Kyiv survived a massive missile attack. Four people were killed, including a 12-year-old girl, a bright child who was truly a ray of light in her school classroom amid this brutal war.
This week, the enemy deliberately destroyed and devastated our energy infrastructure, in particular nuclear power plants. The enemy targeted the energy sector of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, destroying the infrastructure that protects Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus from the consequences of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. Similarly, since September 24, for more than ten days, there has been a blackout at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which is under occupation.
The Russian authorities continue to threaten Ukraine with nuclear terrorism, indicating that attacks on these dangerous targets in Ukraine could be systematic.
Nevertheless, this week we also experienced a joyful event. 205 of our defenders were released from Russian captivity. Among them were 185 military personnel and 20 civilians. We are happy for the defenders who served various terms in captivity in Russian torture chambers that they were finally able to return to their homes.
We are grateful to God that civilians—who are not considered as combatants under international humanitarian law—were also released from Russian captivity. During this time, more than 7,000 prisoners of war have been returned home from Russian captivity.
Today, once again, we thank our Armed Forces of Ukraine, our servicemen and women on the front lines, and we declare to the whole world: Ukraine stands! Ukraine fights! Ukraine prays!
This Sunday, we are witnessing a very special spiritual event in Fatima, the site of the Marian apparitions in Portugal, where Ukrainians from all over Portugal and neighboring countries in Western Europe have gathered for a joint pilgrimage and prayer. Together with our clergy, monastics, and our people, we stood in the place where the Mother of God revealed to us God’s plan for Ukraine, a plan in which we Ukrainians have a special place. It seems that it is precisely our long-suffering Ukrainian people who possess the God-given strength to stay Russia’s murderous hand.
We prayed to the Blessed Virgin Mary with one heart and one voice that God would stop this deadly war in Ukraine and bless our children with His peace. This prayer is especially woven into our October prayer vigils and rosary prayers — Ukraine’s response to Pope Leo XIV’s call for a worldwide prayer for peace. We came to Fatima to thank the Blessed Virgin Mary for already mediating in the war in Ukraine and stopping the Russian army on the outskirts of Kyiv. We are grateful to the Blessed Virgin Mary for the fact that on March 26, 2022, the day after the Feast of the Annunciation, Pope Francis renewed the consecration of Ukraine and Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Since then, the day after, Russian troops began to retreat from Kyiv and Ukraine began to liberate the occupied territories. We believe that the “miracle over the Dnipro” that happened in 2022 is not a one-off event. We know that God’s promises to His people are everlasting.
We ask the Blessed Virgin Mary to be with us, to support Ukrainians, to inspire our hearts, to empower us with the strength and grace of the Holy Spirit in the fight against evil. Indeed, the Fatima revelations foretold that Russia and the errors that would proceed from it could poison the whole world. Then, in the context of World War I, the whole world interpreted these words of the Blessed Virgin Mary as a warning about the danger of Soviet communism, which, like a red dragon, posed a threat to the entire world.
But we see that this “red dragon” has not gone anywhere. It only changes its guise and continues to kill not only in Ukraine, but also throughout the world. Therefore, the Blessed Virgin Mary calls on children to pray for peace.
As we stand before Her in Fatima, we ask: Mother of God, cover Ukraine with Your holy veil! Mother of God, implore Your heavenly, divine Son Jesus Christ to grant our homeland the grace of a just peace!
The blessing of the Lord be upon you, through His grace and love for mankind, always, now and forever, and for the ages of ages. Amen.
