17/06/2026
Rt Rev Gordon Kennedy, the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, has shared a message of solidarity with the Orthodox Church of Ukraine after Kyiv's Dormition Cathedral was damaged in a Russian attack.
The early medieval cathedral suffered what has been described as significant damage during a wave of Russian strikes on the Ukrainian capital which resulted in 11 deaths.
Mr Kennedy said:
On behalf of the Church of Scotland, may I express our solidarity with the Orthodox Church of Ukraine and condemn the wholly unjustified attack on the Dormition Cathedral in Kyiv, which has damaged a sacred sanctuary and a place that lies at the heart of the spiritual identity of the people of Ukraine.
The Dormition Cathedral has been a place of worship since the 11th Century and is recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage site for its universal spiritual significance.
To deliberately attack such a place is to violate the sacred bond between the Maker of heaven and earth and those who bear the image of God; a bond that lies at the heart of what it is to be part of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.
We pray:
Almighty and Eternal God.
Grant peace in our time, and an end to war,
in Ukraine, and in all the places of our world ravaged by conflict.
Grant protection to places of sanctuary and worship,
that bonds may be forged and reconciliation flourish,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
