UOC Military Chaplain Archpriest Oleksii Kuznetsov Killed in Action in Sumy Region

On April 24, 2025, Archpriest Oleksii Kuznetsov, a cleric of the Sumy Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, was killed while carrying out his pastoral mission in a combat zone. He served as a military chaplain and psychologist in the 252nd Separate Battalion of the Territorial Defense Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The Sumy Diocese of the UOC reported the loss.

His tragic death occurred just one day before his 28th birthday.

Metropolitan Yevlohii, clergy, and numerous parishioners expressed sincere condolences to the family of the fallen priest, his comrades-in-arms, loved ones, and all who knew and valued his sacrificial service. The diocesan statement reads:

“Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (John 15:13).

The Sumy Diocese calls for prayers for the repose of the newly departed Archpriest Oleksii, with hope for his eternal rest among the righteous in the Kingdom of God.

Earlier, it was reported that Metropolitan Yevlohii of Sumy and Okhtyrka condemned the missile strike on Sumy on April 13, 2025, which claimed the lives of more than thirty city residents. In his sermon, the hierarch called the event “a crime committed by Russian godless forces.”