On the evening of Tuesday, September 22, 2026, Russian occupiers carried out an aerial strike on residential buildings in Kramatorsk, Donetsk Oblast. As a result of the aerial bomb drop, the Church of St. John the Forerunner sustained significant damage, and nearby multi-story residential buildings were also affected. This was reported by the Synodal Information and Educational Department of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and the press service of the Main Directorate of the State Emergency Service (SES) in Donetsk Oblast.
Strike on a residential area
According to local residents and volunteers, the explosion occurred in a densely populated district of the city, where the church is located next to a large number of apartment buildings. Local volunteer Bohdan Zuiakov reported on his Facebook page that the strike hit "the church directly," adding that there were casualties. Footage published by a witness shows that the damaged building is surrounded by residential houses, which increases the risk to civilians during such attacks.
Destruction of St. John the Forerunner Church
The Synodal Information and Educational Department of the UOC clarified that the Church of St. John the Forerunner suffered significant destruction. Photos and videos that appeared online show serious damage to the walls, roof, and dome of the building. According to reports, the metal frame of the structure was "twisted" by the shock wave, and the entire surrounding area is covered with debris.
Response of rescuers and volunteers
On the morning of Wednesday, September 23, the press service of the Main Directorate of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Donetsk Oblast reported that two people were injured as a result of the aerial strike and that "emergency services have dealt with the aftermath of the attack." It is specified that the total fire area was about 60 square meters, and during the firefighting operation, rescuers brought two people into the fresh air who, due to heavy smoke, could not leave the premises on their own.
Contradictory data
The provided sources contain a slight discrepancy in the assessment of the injured. Volunteer Bohdan Zuiakov only mentioned the presence of "injured" without giving an exact number, whereas the SES officially confirmed on the morning of September 23 that two people were injured. At the same time, the same rescuers' statement separately mentions that two people were brought into the fresh air due to smoke. It is unclear whether these two groups of people are the same or different victims; the exact number of injured and evacuated persons was not further clarified at the time of publication.
Context: a series of attacks on Kramatorsk
The attack on the church and residential buildings became the latest episode in a series of strikes on the city. It was previously reported that Russian forces hit an evacuation point in Kramatorsk with an aerial bomb. The authorities continue to evacuate hundreds of families with children from Donetsk Oblast, while residents, including foreign volunteers, describe the daily life of the city under wartime conditions.
