Scandal in Kremenchuk: OCU Chaplain "Performed a Funeral Service" for Missing Ukrainian Armed Forces Soldiers

A major scandal erupted in Kremenchug following the unveiling ceremony of a memorial stele honoring National Guard soldiers. The event organizers made a grave mistake by placing photographs of 40 servicemen listed as missing in action alongside those of heroes confirmed to have died. The situation was exacerbated by the participation of a chaplain from the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, who recited a memorial prayer and sang “Eternal Memory” in front of the portraits of those whose deaths had not been legally confirmed. This was reported by Glavkom.

The incident sparked a wave of outrage among the relatives of the servicemen. Ksenia Grechanova, the wife of Alexander, who is missing in action, shared her despair, noting that such behavior on the part of a clergyman is deeply traumatic. ““Every Sunday I go to church, where I light a candle ‘for good health,’ but here the priest is performing the ‘Eternal Memory’ prayer for a man who may still be alive,” the publication quotes the woman as saying.

As a reminder, earlier, Ukraine’s State Bureau of Investigations (GBR) reported that a serviceman of the 425th Separate Assault Regiment “Skelya” was suspected of beating two colleagues. The suspect’s actions have become the subject of a large-scale investigation covering violations of military regulations and acts of violence within this unit.