28/05/2026
On Saturday (23 May) the Light of the Gospel Baptist Church in Balakleia, Ukraine, was struck by a Russian drone, causing a massive fire in the church building. Thankfully, there were no casualties, but the building was destroyed and can no longer be used as a place of worship.
At the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the town was under Russian occupation, and the pastor of the congregation, Oleksandr Salfetnikov, was abducted and tortured by the occupying forces for being an evangelical minister — a “foreign spy.” Eventually, Pastor Oleksandr was released, but he suffered severe injuries.
Nevertheless, the church community continued providing humanitarian aid to the remaining local residents, while church volunteers helped others flee to territories controlled by the Ukrainian army. After the de-occupation, the church continued serving as a humanitarian relief centre, offering both practical help and the Light of the Gospel.
Continue to pray for our brothers and sisters in Ukraine, that God would comfort their hearts and strengthen their spirits, for the Light of the Gospel cannot be extinguished.