As the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues, an Evangelical Christian in Israel who lived in Ukraine for several decades was in contact with a Ukrainia pastor on the ground.
"I just called a friend of mine, a pastor in Ukraine, right along the border with one of the separatist regions,” he told ALL ISRAEL NEWS on February 24. “He said that he and his wife were awakened this morning early by explosions, either bombs or artillery. And there's an airfield in the nearby city. It's been bombed and disabled. The reports are that all the airfields across Ukraine have been bombed and disabled.”
The man asked that ALL ISRAEL NEWS not use his name for security reasons.
“He was in tears," the pastor said. "They were under occupation for a short while – in 2014, before Ukrainian forces pushed the separatists back. So they understand what's facing them.”
The man requested that people "pray that God’s sovereign plan would be taking place... I've never experienced anything like this from all my years in Ukraine – it’s just a horrific situation.”
Another Christian ministry leader in the Ukrainian capital told ALL ISRAEL NEWS on Thursday that there were "explosions are Kyiv."
He said that the Christian community was considering fleeing the country, but were afraid that the journey might be more dangerous than staying put - at least for now.
When asked how Christians around the world should pray, he said, “Please pray that we can be calm and pray that we will not be killed in this conflict.”
As of Saturday morning, nearly 200 Ukrainians have been reported dead as a result of the Russian invasion, according to a report by the head of the Ukrainian Health Ministry as quoted by the Interfax news agency.