Ukranians praying in the central square of Kharkiv, Ukraine. Image: Courtesy of Ukrainian Bible Society
The demand for Bibles in Ukraine has grown as multitudes search for comfort following Russia’s invasion of the country.
Robert L. Briggs, president and CEO of American Bible Society, said in a statement published 24 February 2022, by Christianity Today that many Ukrainians are experiencing the Bible’s message for the first time ever.
“As the head of the American Bible Society, I’ve been in close contact with my friend and counterpart, Anatoliy Raychynets, who serves as the deputy general secretary of the Ukrainian Bible Society,” Mr Robert L. Briggs said.
“According to Anatoliy, priests and pastors over the past weeks have been flocking to the Bible Society store in Kyiv [Capital of Ukraine] to buy Bibles. Demand is so high that they’ve run out of copies,” he added.
Mr Briggs explained that despite the invasion, the body of Christ in Ukraine is still spreading the gospel and building the kingdom, with pastors staying in various regions of the country to serve and pray.
“Out of everything [Anatoliy Raychynets] shared with me, I am most inspired by the show of solidarity from the Ukrainian church across confessions, borders, and party lines,” he wrote.
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin ordered wide-ranging attacks on Ukraine on Thursday, hitting multiple cities and bases with air strikes, and attacking by land and sea, sources say.
This came after weeks of denying plans to invade.
According to Al Jazeera, Putin justified his actions in a televised address early on Thursday, asserting that the attack was needed to protect civilians in eastern Ukraine – a claim Ukraine and its allies have slammed as false and a pretext for a wider invasion.
Putin, according to Al Jazeera, also accused the United States and its allies of ignoring Russia’s demands for Ukraine to be barred from joining NATO and for security guarantees. President Putin also called Ukraine “an artificial creation” and denied its right to statehood.
Sources reveal that after Russia launched attacks on Thursday, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy declared martial law, cut diplomatic ties with Moscow and called on civilians to join the fight to defend Ukraine.
It should be noted that Ukraine said Russian forces have reportedly seized the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. The development has since prompted concern from international nuclear watchdogs.
Minister of Healthcare of Ukraine Viktor Liashko said on Saturday that 198 Ukrainians, including three children, have been killed during the Russian invasion.
A further 1,115 people have been wounded, including 33 children, he wrote on his social media page.
Several Church leaders across the globe and in Uganda have condemned the Russian attack on Ukraine as “an act of great evil,” urging believers to pray for peace in this part of the Europe.
