After the recent killing of a peaceful resident of Gorlovka, Metropolitan of Gorlovka and Slavyansk Mitrofan addressed the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky, the Ukrainian military and the international community, the press service of the Gorlovka diocesan administration reports.

“The crime was committed yesterday, on April 9, at 16 PM, in Gorlovka, in the village of Shirokaya Balka, at 166 Plotinnaya Street. A 26-year-old girl named Miroslava was killed by a munition dropped from an unmanned aerial vehicle and Mikhail aged 59 was seriously wounded. I learned about this not from news feeds, but because Miroslava and Mikhail are close relatives of certain people working at the Gorlovka diocesan administration.

This is a great misfortune, a great tragedy. Many questions arise again in this regard, which I would like to ask the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky in the first place.

The first question I want to be answered is how are drone attacks with munitions on peaceful residents’ houses connected with the defense of the territorial integrity of Ukraine? Such actions can be called only a crime. Such things are always involved with the first name and surname of the person who did it, because we know the time and scene where the crime was committed. You, as the supreme commander-in-chief, have the power and the opportunity to ask those who were there then: who carried out this act and on whose orders.

Citizens of Ukraine is what you call the people who live here. Is it possible to commit an atrocity like this with impunity, without trial and investigation?

I would like to hear your personal assessment of what has happened. Why is it so necessary to carry out shelling and continue hostilities? Indeed, after each such death and after each such incident, it becomes more likely that the talk of peace will remain pure talking, and it will never be restored. Who will shoulder the responsibility to stop shelling for such monstrous attacks to no longer happen?

Apart from the words of condolences, I would appreciate a reply to the following question: will an investigation team be established, will the investigation will initiated, and will we ever hear the answer to the question who gave the command and who committed this criminal act? It would be positive to hear the names of these people and see them being held accountable for what they did.

Apart from addressing the Supreme Commander, who has the opportunity to put these questions to his subordinates and to voice the answers that he will receive, I would like to address directly the Defence Minister and the Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander here in Donbass, so that they also provide answers to these questions. I also appeal to international organizations to notice that amid the struggle for the lives of people during the coronavirus infection pandemic, murders still occur that may go unnoticed and unpunished. The goal of my appeal is to prevent this from happening,” Metropolitan of Gorlovka and Slavyansk Mitrofan said.