WCC News: WCC: Stop shedding innocent blood in Ukraine in pursuit of political ambitions

At the beginning of the Holy Week of Easter, on 13 April, the celebration of Palm Sunday in the Ukrainian city of Sumy was transformed into a day of lamentation, by yet another Russian missile attack. Playground sealed off after being damaged in the blast from a Russian missile hitting the Taras Shevchenko Park in central Kyiv, Ukraine in the morning of 10 October 2022, when 75 Russian missiles were reported to have been fired at cities across Ukraine, including Kyiv, Lviv, and Kharkiv. Photo: Albin Hillert/LWF 14 April 2025 "Just over one week ago, on 4 April, a Russian ballistic missile struck near a playground in Kryvyi Rih in central Ukraine, killing 19 civilians including nine children,” said World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay. “The weapon targeted a civilian area, resulting in the deadliest attack on children since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine." On Palm Sunday, Sumy’s people became the victims of an even more deadly Russian ballistic missile attack. “According to the latest reports, 34 people were killed, and 117 injured, including 15 children,” said Pillay. “Even in this Holy Week, human brutality and wickedness does not rest but continues to claim innocent victims.” Pillay reiterated the WCC’s demand that those responsible for such reprehensible attacks stop shedding innocent blood in pursuit of territorial and political ambitions. “We appeal to the international community to protect the victims from such aggression, and to hold the perpetrators accountable by all available means,” said Pillay. “In the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, we pray for peace in this Holy Week, for an end to this violence, and for a conversion of minds focused on war to hearts seeking peace and the justice on which true peace is founded.” WCC statement on the Russian attack on civilians in Ukraine on Palm Sunday See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 352 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay from the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches Chemin du Pommier 42 Kyoto Building Le Grand-Saconnex CH-1218 Switzerland