The heroes of Ukraine speak
Few Christians in modern history have endured so much or responded so powerfully
Ukrainians take refuge under a damaged bridge in the city of Irpin. Photo courtesy of Viktor Krotyk.
Three years ago today, Vladimir Putin sent overwhelming Russian forces into Ukraine, expecting as easy a victory as when he seized Crimea in 2014. He and lots of Russian soldiers—no one knows how many—have discovered otherwise.
Ukraine has mounted a heroic defense even though, lacking NATO membership, it was not guaranteed protection from NATO countries. In lieu of troops, Europe and the United States have given Ukraine $120 billion in military support.
Was this massive expenditure—mostly just to defend against Russian aggression that has still managed to demolish much of Ukraine—the best available option?
I’ll return to that question below. But first, the heroes of Ukraine should take center stage. This post is longer than usual, to include comments from three Ukrainians.
Mykola Kuleba has been serving Ukrainian children for 25 years. In 2014, after Russia’s first invasion, he founded Save Ukraine, seeking to evacuate families from war zones and protect children from kidnapping and deportation to Russia. Save Ukraine says it has evacuated 110,000 people and restored nearly 600 deported children to their families.
“Through the darkest times, many have understood that God is the only way,” Kuleba said. (In a recent survey, 22 percent of Ukrainians said they had become more religious during the war while only 4 percent became less religious.)
“The number of churches is growing. But many evangelical and Catholic churches have been closed in the occupied territories, and many pastors have been persecuted and killed. A bishop at an evangelical church in Kherson was arrested and his son was tortured. The bishop was told he would never find his son if he did not collaborate with Russia. Many others have told similar stories.
“Here in Kyiv, we have shelling and air raid alarms every night. But we believe God is our protector. ‘The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in Spirit’ (Psalm 34:18).
“Having grown up in the Soviet Union, I understand what it is like to go to school and listen to propaganda every day. The same has happened in the occupied territories.
“I ask Christians all over the world to raise their voices for justice. This war is about whether we will exist as human beings and as a nation. Christians should stand against oppression.”
Viktor Krotyk, a pastor from Buzivka (100 miles south of Kyiv), has overseen humanitarian assistance on behalf of BEE (Biblical Education by Extension) in Ukraine. Krotyk explained that his church has been a center for food aid and refugee support since the war began.
“Businessmen offered us meat and 120 people from our village came every day to prepare food for others,” Krotyk said. “We have served thousands of people, including 7,000 refugees. We put encouraging Bible verses on food cans along with QR codes about our broadcasts of worship services. For eight months, we had two prayer meetings every day. Our church has grown even though some of our members went abroad.
“In times of difficulty, people see who you really are. When people see a strong church that stands on gospel principles and serves others, the authority of the church grows. In my opinion, our church is stronger than it was three years ago, because it held on to the values of the Word of God and did not give up in difficult circumstances.
“Many did not believe Ukraine would survive. Even now, some see no reason to help. There is much that we do not know, but there is a just God who knows everything.
“I ask that Christians globally share our burden of suffering (1 Cor 12:26–27) through prayer and practical help. The church should oppose evil and save people who are doomed to death.”
Mykola Savchuk is pastor of Salvation Church, a large congregation in Kyiv. You can hear more from him through his recent podcast interview with Brian Stiller.
“When Russian troops were advancing toward the capital, our main task was simply to survive,” Savchuk recalled. “Ninety percent of our church members left, while I, along with the remaining 10 percent, stayed. By God’s grace, we were never occupied, even though Bucha and Irpin—cities marked by tragedy—are just 10 kilometers away from us.
“When the enemy retreated, people began returning to Kyiv—both our church members and internally displaced people from eastern and southern Ukraine, where intense fighting continued. So our next phase of ministry was caring for refugees.
“Later, an urgent need arose for spiritual and psychological support for soldiers and their families. We have been constantly supporting the civilian population, as our city is regularly targeted by missile and drone attacks. People live in constant fear and anxiety.
“Over the past three years, nearly a thousand people have come to Christ and been baptized. We are also continuing the construction of our church building, designed to hold 4,500 people—a project we started before the war. This is an expression of our faith that God will lead us through these hardships.
“People are still dying, and Russia keeps up its pressure. Recent political statements only add to the confusion by obscuring who the true aggressor is and who the victim is. For the first time in three years, our society feels the same uncertainty and fear of the unknown that we experienced in the early days of the war—a stark reminder that we depend solely on God's mercy.
“Now more than ever, we need your prayers and a clear, unwavering voice standing up for the truth. The greatest gift the body of Christ can offer the world is simply to remain true to its calling—the salt and light of the earth—that is not swayed by political interests but instead serves as the conscience of every nation.”
For more extended comments from these Ukrainians, e-mail me at bruce.barron0@gmail.com.
A “Christian realist” perspective
I asked Mark Tooley, president of the Institute on Religion and Democracy and a leading exponent of the principles of Christian realism in international politics, about NATO’s decision to support Ukraine indirectly through aid rather than confronting Russian aggression directly, such as by establishing a no-fly zone to block Russian planes.
“NATO is morally and strategically justified in supporting Ukraine against Russia’s invasion,” Tooley stated. “The conquest and extinction of Ukraine by a brutal dictatorship would be a green light to other bloodthirsty aggressors. Certainly, it would encourage Putin to continue his intimidation of and potential attacks on other smaller neighboring states. Such conflicts could lead more directly to war between NATO and Russia. A US no-fly zone early in the conflict would have led to such a conflict, which could have been disastrous.
“Christian realism prefers to contain smaller wars and avoid larger wars between great powers. Zelensky and Ukraine are an inspiration to all free peoples who believe in democracy and self-governance for free nations.”
Remembering the 21 martyrs
Ten years ago, ISIS radicals videotaped their beheading of 21 Coptic Christians who refused to deny Christ. Now a 12-minute film combining video excerpts with animation, commemorating the martyrs, has been released. Free registration gives access to four accompanying short documentaries as well. My former boss Mark Rodgers of the Clapham Group relates the story of the film’s creation here.