February 5, 2026

News from Kherson – across the Dnipro from russian forces

February 05, 2026

For all Ukrainians, a stark line exists in memory when speaking about life. There is life before the war and there is the life that one must live now. Everyone looks forward to the day when it will be life after the war. This is especially true for the city of Kherson. It fell to russian occupiers in March 2022, was liberated by Ukrainian forces on November 11, 2022, and now exists in the “red zone” under constant drone and artillery fire from Russian soldiers on the southeast bank of the river Dnipro.

The Presbyterian church in Kherson was planted in November 1999. They had the love and dedication of several long-term missionaries and did a great deal of work with local orphanages. People didn’t know what a Presbyterian church was, but slowly, through individual friendships, testimonies, and God’s work, the church grew to more than 40 people: families, children, and the elderly. Teenagers gathered for Youth Group. Women’s and Men’s groups met midweek. A prayer group met on Tuesdays, and a board‑game club for children met on Saturdays. It was an ordinary, joyful church life—the kind that rarely makes headlines but which forms the backbone of Christian community.

On February 24, 2022, everything changed. Confusion, fear, and disbelief swept the city. No one understood what was happening or could imagine what would come. Many church members sheltered inside the church building. Seventeen people fleeing nearby occupied villages arrived seeking safety. By March 3, Russian forces had entered Kherson City.

Shops emptied. Banks closed. Cash disappeared. Lines stretched endlessly. Yet the church survived through the generosity of believers from other congregations and the support of MTW partners. Many members fled abroad or to other Ukrainian cities. For two weeks, the church could not gather for worship. Instead, the remaining leaders delivered food packages, medicine, and gave what spiritual encouragement they could to those in need. Under Russian occupation, it was too dangerous to meet openly, so they gathered in the church basement to read Scripture and pray. Russian troops were only 500–600 meters away, but by God’s mercy, they never discovered the church. Sheltering in the church basement, congregants heard news of how soldiers were breaking into buildings and homes and taking people. Everyone felt a great deal of stress, and after fifty days of occupation, the remaining leaders managed to evacuate seventeen people out of Kherson. Those who stayed continued meeting every Saturday at 10 a.m.—a small remnant, but a faithful one, and God protected them and the church building.

On November 11th, when Kherson was finally liberated, the congregation returned with joy at being able to worship together publicly again. Today, attendance has grown to around forty‑five people, a new congregation of people from our neighborhood, as it is too dangerous to travel far in the open.

Despite being under Ukrainian control and now having the freedom to meet openly, Kherson is still not safe. Shelling is constant. Drones fly daily. Civilians fear public transport and even walking through the city. Russian soldiers use drones to attack everyone: women, children, and grandmothers even. Every day, peace-loving Ukrainian citizens are violently killed.

The church understands that if Russian troops gain ground and the front line shifts, everyone would have to flee. The talk of any proposed “peace plan” that leaves Kherson vulnerable to renewed Russian occupation is not a plan that is compatible with the church being able to continue to worship and spread the gospel.

Entering the fifth year of the full‑scale war, exhaustion is real. The suffering is relentless. Yet the church continues to love and serve one another and pray.

A final word from Kherson

“Love each other. Help each other no matter what, because we do not know what awaits us. Many are tired of hearing about Ukraine and Kherson, but what we have lived through cannot be easily conveyed. Could we leave? Yes, but even in other cities there is no light or heat, and drones and missiles come every night and kill whoever is in their path. But we thank God for His care and our safety, and we thank everyone who helps the church and the people of Kherson.”