Light After the Explosions

Feb. 24, 2026

As war impacts Ukrainian cities farther from the front lines, Knights provide support in the wake of destruction

By Kateryna Kolodii

Feb. 24, 2026

Knights stand near the site of a residential building destroyed in a Russian attack in Ternopil, Ukraine. — Knights from St. Peter the Apostle Council 17487 stand near the site of a residential building destroyed in a Russian attack in Ternopil, Ukraine, Dec. 20, 2025.

For residents of Ternopil, air raid sirens had become a familiar sound since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, but explosions had not. That changed in an instant Nov. 19, 2025, when Russian missiles struck residential neighborhoods, damaging buildings, killing and wounding occupants, and sending survivors fleeing into the streets.

“The apartment was already full of smoke, and it was impossible to breathe,” recalled Yaroslav Kovalchuk, whose residence was struck in the Ternopil attack. “At that moment, if I had gone out into the courtyard, I would have died — or ended up like some of the others, burned in their cars.”

The war in Ukraine, which has killed an estimated 15,000 Ukrainian civilians as of December 2025, is increasingly reaching cities once considered relatively safe. Missile strikes on residential areas and critical infrastructure have reshaped everyday life in urban centers across Ukraine, including Lviv and Ternopil in the west and Fastiv, a rail hub in the central Kyiv region.

In each of the three cities, local Knights of Columbus responded within hours of the attacks, working with residents and other volunteer networks to clear rubble, support affected families and — in Ternopil — assist the wounded. Knights also engaged in long-term efforts to repair damaged structures and support communities traumatized by the blasts.

‘NOT ALONE IN THIS WORLD’

For residents of Ternopil, the attack on Nov. 19 marked a sudden break with everyday life. Two high-rise apartment buildings were destroyed, and other residential structures caught fire. Thirty-eight people were killed — including eight children — and 94 others were injured.

“When 31 buildings started burning, everyone understood that this was a terrible tragedy — a catastrophe,” recalled Ternopil resident Yuriy Liubynetskyi. “Windows were flying out of buildings.”

The shock was shared by those who rushed to the scene. In the first moments after the strike, people moved through smoke-filled courtyards and shattered entrances, trying to grasp the scale of what had happened.

“The first feeling was horror and despair, because people were lying dead on the asphalt,” said Viktor Romaniuk, grand knight of St. Peter the Apostle Council 17487 in Ternopil.

Alongside other residents, Knights from Council 17487 cleared debris, dismantled dangerous structures, assisted the wounded and supported people in shock after the tragedy.

After the initial response, efforts shifted toward supporting affected families. At the initiative of Council 17487 — together with Patriarch Josyf Slipyj Council 18687 from Velyka Berezovytsia and Blessed Father Michael McGivney Council 18602 from Berezhany — a humanitarian distribution was held in Ternopil at the Church of St. Michael the Archangel.

People affected by the missile strike received essential assistance from the Knights, including 150 food packages funded by the Ukraine Solidarity Fund and 120 warm coats donated by Knights from Poland.

“Every coat and every food package is the result of cooperation among our brother Knights and benefactors from around the world,” said State Deputy Mykola Mostovyak.

Yet the most important aspect of the aid, according to Romaniuk, was direct contact with people who had lived through the tragedy. During the distribution, Knights also took time to speak with those affected, offering support and human presence.

“When someone comes to help, people feel that they are not alone in this world, that they matter to someone,” Romaniuk said.

Distribution of humanitarian aid to civilians affected by a Russian attack on Ternopil, Ukraine. — Ukraine State Deputy Mykola Mostovyak helps distribute humanitarian aid to civilians affected by a Russian attack on Ternopil, Dec. 20, 2025.

‘OUR SECOND HOME’

On Oct. 5, 2025, Lviv and the surrounding region experienced one of the largest missile and drone attacks since the start of the war. For several hours, the city was shaken by explosions. Among the sites damaged in the attack was the parish complex of Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church.

“Knights and their families spent the night in air-raid shelters,” said Ivan Horbach, grand knight of Blessed Hryhorij Lakota Council 17651. “By morning, we received a photo showing that our parish — our second home — had suffered major damage.” The missile struck near the parish grounds, impacting several of its buildings.

“The blast blew out the windows and damaged the roof,” recalled Father Roman Stefaniv, pastor of Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish and chaplain of Council 17651. “But because it happened at night, and there were few people on the grounds, there were no victims, although the damage was significant.”

In the aftermath of the attack, the Knights gathered at the parish.

“We were shocked when we arrived,” said Horbach. “Our wives and children were with us. We didn’t fully understand what was happening, but God was guiding us.” Their immediate priority was safety: clearing broken glass and debris.

“We worked together to clean up all the glass, because there was a lot of it,” said Father Stefaniv. “Then the brother Knights helped by going out and gathering whatever they could find to cover the windows.”

Further restoration of the parish property was accomplished with help from Council 17651 and the local community — supported by the Supreme Council’s Ukraine Solidarity Fund.

Knights restore a church building damaged by a Russian attack in Lviv. — Orest Prystupa and Roman Zvizlo, members of Blessed Hryhorij Lakota Council 17651, restore a church building damaged by a Russian attack in Lviv, Nov. 11, 2025.

A HOLIDAY ROCKED BY BLASTS

In early December 2025, Fastiv, an important railway hub, sustained a series of Russian missile and drone attacks targeting Ukraine’s transportation and energy infrastructure.

The heaviest strikes occurred on the night of Dec. 5 and continued into the morning of Dec. 6, St. Nicholas Day, when a massive nationwide barrage targeted Ukraine’s rail and power systems, heavily damaging Fastiv’s station and depot.

St. Demetrius Parish stands near the railway station, one of the main targets of the attacks. Blast waves shattered windows and damaged the church, also affecting nearby residential areas.

“Windows were blown out immediately, and plaster fell,” said Father Vitalii Martsyniuk, chaplain of Sts. Borys and Hlib Council 17740 in Fastiv. “The blast wave moved from the railway station toward a residential neighborhood, and our church was directly in its path.”

The church was promptly restored by Knights from Council 17740 using their own resources. However, the consequences of the attack were felt beyond the material damage. St. Nicholas Day — a culturally significant holiday in Ukraine — was different this time.

“The children were frightened. They spent the night in bomb shelters, and we couldn’t celebrate the holiday the way we had planned,” Father Martsyniuk said. “When it happens far away, you don’t experience it as sharply. But when it affects your parish, your children, your people — it feels completely different.”

Despite these painful experiences, the solidarity demonstrated by Knights in response to attacks on Lviv, Ternopil and Fastiv continues to offer light and hope to ordinary Ukrainians amid tragedy.

“To serve does not mean to lead from a distance or limit oneself to words, but to stand beside people in their hardest moments,” said State Deputy Mykola Mostovyak. “Here, among destroyed buildings, these words cease to be abstract and take on new meaning.”

To learn more about the Order’s work in Ukraine and to support those efforts, visit kofc.org/ukraine.

*****

KATERYNA KOLODII writes from Lviv, Ukraine.

Light After the Explosions

‘NOT ALONE IN THIS WORLD’

‘OUR SECOND HOME’

A HOLIDAY ROCKED BY BLASTS

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