A church in Gammalsvenskby in Ukraine has been destroyed by a Russian so-called kamikaze drone.
The roof has collapsed and everything is completely burnt out. The church was completely renovated before the war, says Sofia Hoas, chairman of the association Svenskbyborna, to the newspaper Dagen.
Gammalsvenskby in southern Ukraine was founded in 1782, when the Russian Empress Catherine the Great relocated Estonian Swedes from Dagö to the newly conquered area in Ukraine. Since Russia launched its full-scale war of aggression against its neighbour, the village has been severely affected. Of the approximately 2,300 inhabitants who lived in the village before the invasion, only about 70 remain, with many having fled to nearby villages.
It's faith that holds the Swedish descendants in the village together, says Sofia Hoas.
The villagers are determined to rebuild the village, so that's the plan. But the question is whether the church can be restored or if it will be rebuilt from the ground up. First, the war has to end.
