Statement of religious leaders regarding Russian attacks on the Ukrainian power grid

March 24, 2024

“For you Lord, give light to my lamp, my God brightens my darkness.”

[Psalm 18, 29]

On the night of March 22, Russia launched its largest attack against Ukraine’s energy system, deploying over 60 kamikaze drones and almost 90 missiles. Dozens of power facilities were damaged, including thermal and hydroelectric power stations, high-voltage networks, and regional energy grids.

Millions of civilians across the Vinnytsia, Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv, Khmelnytskyi, Zaporizhzhia, Sumy, Odesa, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, and Kharkiv regions now face massive power outages and crippling energy shortages, endangering the most vulnerable and threatening all life-support systems. Kharkiv, a city of 1.5 million inhabitants, is particularly stricken as Russian attacks targeted its main energy facilities, leaving residents without electricity, heat, and hot water on a night when temperatures will plummet below freezing.

We, leaders of religious organizations in the United States, condemn these Russian attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure as war crimes. We beseech the religious leaders of Russia, especially Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church, to stop supporting the Russian invasion of Ukraine and to urge President Putin to halt terror attacks aimed at innocent civilians. We likewise urge our government and civic authorities to utilize all available just means to protect Ukraine and its people from this brutal aggression.

"The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."

[John 1:5]

We stand firm in our resolve: do not allow the darkness to prevail over the light.

His Excellency Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio

President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops,

Archbishop for the Military Services, USA

His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America

Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America

His Excellency Bishop Gregory John Mansour

Eparchy of Saint Maron of Brooklyn

His Excellency Bishop Elias Zaidan

Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles,

Chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on International Justice and Peace

His Excellency Bishop John Alappatt

St. Thomas Eparchy of Chicago, Syro-Malabar Catholic Church

His Excellency Bishop François Beyrouti

Diocese of Newton for the Melkite Catholic Church in the US

His Excellency Bishop Robert M. Pipta

Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Parma

His Excellency Bishop Francis Y. Kalabat

Saint Thomas the Apostle Chaldean Catholic Eparchy — USA

Bishop Philipos Mar Stephanos

St. Mary, Queen of Peace Syro-Malankara Catholic Eparchy in the USA & Canada

His Excellency Bishop Nicholas Samra

Bishop Emeritus of Newton Melkite Church, USA

His Eminence Metropolitan Antony

Ukrainian Orthodox Church of USA and Diaspora

His Grace Metropolitan Borys Gudziak

Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia

His Eminence Archbishop Daniel

Ukrainian Orthodox Church of USA and Diaspora

His Excellency Bishop Paul Chomnycky

Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Stamford

His Excellency Bishop Вenedict Aleksiychuk

Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of St. Nicholas in Chicago

His Excellency Bishop Bohdan Danylo

Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Saint Josaphat in Parma

Rev. Viktor Prokhor

Superintendent at Slavic District of the Assemblies of God,

Senior Pastor at Life Christian Church in Tacoma, WA,

Chair at the Council of Ukrainian Christian Churches of Washington State

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Statement of religious leaders regarding Russian attacks on the Ukrainian power grid

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