Father Andrew of St. Andrew’s Church in Bucha, Ukraine, was listed as one of the first people to kill on Russia’s list. But, he miraculously survived and lives to tell how faith kept him strong.
Russia’s Kill List
Russians invaded the town of Bucha, Ukraine, on February 27, 2022. Their immediate goal was to hunt down the people on their list. These people were influential people and leaders who had the potential to lead a resistance group against Russia.
And Father Andrew’s name was on it. In fact, he was placed at the top of the list. But he survived because he was not home on the day of the invasion. He fortunate enough to escape, along with his family.
Father Andrew recalled the cruelty that happened in their beloved town. “The invaders murdered more than 400 people here – roughly every third person in the town,” he said. And Father Andrew knew most of them personally.
He revealed that the list was carefully studied and investigated. Invaders captured random residents and detained them in camps, forcing information out of the detainees. And they do them by inflicting pain and threatening death.
This method helped the invaders lengthen the list of names and pursue them.
Father Andrew with CBN News reporter
Source: CBN News
Bucha Liberated
But on March 31, soldiers finally liberated the town of Bucha. Survivors of war credited the victory to God. One resident named Oleksander declared that Bucha’s freedom was God’s miracle. He said, “The fact that we forced them out of Bucha is God’s miracle! This is God’s miracle and nothing else.”
And so, Father Andrew and his family returned to Bucha on April 2. Their hometown was never the same.
He quickly carried out his spiritual duties by exhuming bodies and giving them the proper burial they deserved. “We want justice,” Father Andrew said. “But we also need to remember those we have lost. Those who perished deserve it, and it’s up to the survivors – and the world – to keep them in our hearts.”
Reference: CBN News
