Good morning World! Good morning Ukraine!
From: Euromaiden Press — Artem Hryshyn, a military chaplain from Zhytomyr Oblast, has been tending to servicemen from different units for years, uniting with them not only through prayer but also through his direct presence in Ukraine’s hotspots.
Recounting the events of 24 February 2022, the acute phase of the Russian invasion, Father Artem says:
“We knew the invasion was coming and had prepared. We created a team that was in full readiness. We had maps of the area; we knew the forests and locations. We teamed up with one of the brigade commanders and led the troops through forests and paths. We worked with local people and involved foresters. Our task was to get the equipment out of the roads and open countryside.”
Father Artem and his team also played a crucial role in evacuating civilians from besieged areas like Bucha, Irpin, and Hostomel.
“It was a very big challenge. No one had warned the people, so there was complete chaos. We evacuated those we could find. People cried. They sat in cellars and hid in the woods. You drive a car full of people at random and don’t know what will happen to them next.”
When Ukrainian troops entered the settlements after the enemy’s retreat, the scenes they encountered were nothing short of horrific. “What we saw was pure horror. Ruined bridges, buildings. Dead bodies were everywhere,” he says.
Even seasoned military personnel were unprepared for the atrocities they witnessed.
“Can you be prepared for that? No, even military psychologists were shocked by the horrors they saw. They turned to me after they had a nervous breakdown. They weren’t ready for so many corpses either; they lost their brothers-in-arms and saw dreadful, indescribable things.”
Father Artem’s firsthand account sheds light on the devastating realities faced by Ukrainian civilians and military personnel during the Russian invasion, underscoring the immense challenges and trauma they endured.
War poem by military chaplain Artem Hryshyn:
Beyond the slag heaps, there, past barren fields
Where Grads strike home, where bullets pierce & yield
Where warfare rages, guns incessant fire
There, you’ll never tread, your steps cannot aspire.
Where ruin prevails, and death lies patiently in wait
There, no savior comes, abandoned to cruel fate
Where earth itself burns, smoke stinging the eye
There, the world is wedged between a gunshot and a sigh.
Where rubble remains, no place to find repose
There, sleep evades, hunger’s sting forever grows
Where life once blossomed, existence now lies bare
There, in the trenches, a brother’s final stare
Where you cannot be, unable to comprehend
There, where we stand today, battles without end
Where one moment parts the veil ’twixt living and death’s lair
There, an enemy tank shatters all it meets, laying all bare.
Where a sip of water shines like a pearl’s radiant hue
There, where you see, brother, is where man’s spirit shines through
There, a glimmer of hope yet burns, refusing to die
There, where future dreams still within the mind reside.
Voice of Ukraine 