STATEMENT ON THE FOURTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE RUSSIAN FULL-SCALE INVASION OF UKRAINE

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STATEMENT

ON THE FOURTH ANNIVERSARY OF

THE RUSSIAN FULL-SCALE INVASION OF UKRAINE

February 23, 2026

Dear brothers and sisters,

What can be said on the fourth anniversary of the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine, after 12 years of war, in a winter where the aggressor seeks to use Mother Nature as an accomplice in state-sponsored terrorism? This winter, the harshest in years, has been deliberately exploited to break the spirit of a nation—men and women, military and civilians, grandparents, parents, and children—standing for freedom, justice, democracy, and God-given human dignity. It is a war against the people. The genocidal intent is manifest.

Russia has systematically targeted Ukraine’s social and spiritual infrastructure. At least 2,881 attacks on healthcare have been documented, affecting medical personnel, hospitals and clinics, ambulances, and medical warehouses across the country. 4,048 educational institutions have been damaged and 408 destroyed, affecting millions of children. More than 600 churches and places of worship, representing various denominations, have been damaged or leveled. Everywhere Russian occupation has taken hold, the Ukrainian Catholic Church has been banned, and all religious confessions except the Moscow Patriarchate are persecuted. Tens of thousands of children have been abducted and deported to Russia. Civilian prisoners, including clergy, are mercilessly tortured.

Despite countless deaths and millions of casualties, the people of God resist, trust, and pray. They stand and fight evil and tyranny to live and witness to the truth.

In a world that Pope Benedict described as living under the dictatorship of relativism, where seemingly everything is up for sale and relationships or principles are reduced to deals or transactions, Ukrainians assert: this is not the will of God! There is a difference between good and evil, between truth and lies. For this difference they are sacrificing their lives in behalf of all of humanity.

Despite it all, they live with gratitude. First, to God.

And to all people who help.

They thank Americans and all people of goodwill throughout the world for their prayers. Prayers move mountains. We may not know the name of the person whose life was saved because of our prayer, but people in Ukraine call out: “Thank you for praying.”

They are grateful to all who stay informed, who counter disinformation, and who advocate for justice, a truly just peace.

Ukrainians also thank all who stand in partnership with them, because the help offered is not charity to the poor or a handout to the desperate. It is solidarity — true partnership with those who are paying the ultimate price for global freedom, for global human dignity, for global justice.

On behalf of Ukrainians in Ukraine and Ukrainian Catholics in the United States, we thank you for praying, for staying informed and advocating, and for your partnership.

In their name, we ask that you continue until God’s truth prevails.

It will.

Our faith and our hope are in the Lord.

Praised be His holy name.

 

† Borys Gudziak

Archbishop of Philadelphia, Metropolitan of Ukrainian Catholics in the United States

† Paul Chomnycky, OSBM

Bishop of the Eparchy of Stamford

† Вenedict Aleksiychuk

Bishop of the Eparchy of St. Nicholas in Chicago

† Bohdan Danylo

Bishop of the Eparchy of St. Josaphat in Parma