On Tuesday 2 June, Ukraine experienced one of its worst nights since the Russian invasion began more than four years ago. Missiles and drones struck Kyiv and three other cities, killing at least 22 people.

The coordinated attack on the capital heavily damaged an evangelical church. Нове Життя (New Life Church) was likely one of the targets of the Russian offensive, but it is difficult to know for certain, its pastor, Anatoly Kaluzhny, has told Evangelical Focus.

Pastor Kaluzhny was alerted by a security guard shortly after a missile struck, at around 4 am. Many citizens were in air-raid shelters as Kyiv came under attack in several neighbourhoods, with seven dead and dozens injured.

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No one died in the church. But the destruction is evident in the pictures taken the following day of the church premises. The members of New Life Church have actively worked with refugees from the east of the country and channelled a great deal of humanitarian aid during the full-scale war that started in winter 2022.

Anatoly showed the state of New Life Church premises following the attack in this video.

These are his answers to questions asked by Evangelical Focus.

Question. When did the attack happen and what was the target?

Answer. The attack took place on June 2 at 3:50 a.m. One of our security guards was on the church property and witnessed everything with his own eyes.

A missile struck a neighbouring building — an office centre located only about 20 meters from our church. Everything within a radius of approximately 150–200 meters was devastated and heavily damaged.

It is difficult for me to say with certainty what the intended target was. Perhaps it was because our church has been very active in supporting chaplains and serving members of the military. Perhaps because we have stood firmly with Ukraine, praying faithfully for our nation. God alone knows. In this painful moment, it is hard for me to give a definitive answer.

Question. What were the first impressions when you arrived to the church after the attack?

Answer. The first thing I saw was that I could not even reach the church by car, because the entire road was covered with debris from the destroyed buildings.

I had to leave my vehicle behind and continue on foot. When I arrived, the area was already filled with fire trucks, emergency responders, and rescue services.

Q. What did you see as you finally arrived?

A. There was not a single window left intact. When I entered the building, there were no doors remaining — everything had been blown apart.

The sight was overwhelming and heartbreaking. Furniture, equipment, and personal belongings were scattered everywhere.

Yet in the midst of such devastation, I also saw God’s mercy. Our worship centre and sanctuary, though significantly damaged, remained largely standing.

There is much destruction, but the heart of our church building was preserved, and this brought deep gratitude and hope to my heart.

Volunteers work from day one to restore normality

Members of the congregation and others arrived in the morning to assess the situation and begin clearing rubble and cleaning up. A video on the church’s Facebook page shows a team of volunteers praying on site and the progress of the work on the ground on the first day.

In addition to damage to the children’s Sunday school rooms, vehicles used to distribute humanitarian aid, and meeting rooms, the blast also affected “our mobile dental clinic, the very clinic we used to travel and provide free care to those affected by Russian aggression”, explained Anna Kalyuzhna a few hours after the attack, who is also part of the church team.

On its website, the church offers the opportunity to donate to help with reconstruction.