“We learned from our brothers from Donetsk region that two deacons of Church of Christians of Evangelical Faith ‘Transfiguration’  in Slovyansk and two sons of the church’s pastor Alexander Pavenko died from hands of separatists”, said senior bishop of the Church Mykhailo Panochko.

The so-called “"militia of the Donetsk People’s Republic” broke into the premises of the church “Transfiguration” after the worship on June 8, the feast of Pentecost, and said they would arrest deacons Volodymyr Velichko and Victor Bradarskoho and two adult sons of the senior pastor - Reuben and Albert Pavenkos (apparently their goal was to capture Alexander Pavenko as well, who, fortunately, left the premises at that moment, he managed to leave the city with the younger children). Terrorists charged Christians with a crime against the “Donetsk People’s Republic”, namely, the support of the Ukrainian army.

For more than a month the servants’ families impatiently and anxiously waited for the release of the captives. Volodymyr Velichko had left the wife and eight children at home, Victor Bradarskoho had a wife and three children. One of the Pavenko brothers was not married, another had a wife.

As it turned out, the ministers were tortured and murdered already on the next day, June 9 (according to the deputy prosecutor of Slavyansk, who managed to escape from captivity of “Donetsk People’s Republic”, he heard the cries of the brothers, who were tortured during questioning). Now the bodies are in one of the mass graves, along with two dozens of other people who were tortured, and are awaiting exhumation, which will become possible when the legitimate power functions in the region again and all the necessary structures resume their work.

“The leadership of Ukrainian Union of Churches of Evangelical Christians of Ukraine extends its deep condolences to the families of the innocently killed brothers and appeals to all the Christians to prayerfully support their family in this extremely difficult time,” said Mykhailo Panochko.