During his visit to the Odessa region, Metropolitan Epiphanius met with wounded defenders of Ukraine who are receiving treatment.

Together with Archbishop Afanasiy, the metropolitan visited hospitals and spoke with military personnel.

An important meeting also took place with the leadership of the Odessa region, where issues of social and spiritual support for the population were discussed.

Oleg Radkovsky, the first deputy head of the regional council, awarded the metropolitan for his contribution to supporting the Ukrainian people.

«Your presence is an important symbol of faith for all residents of the region. The Church and prayer support our defenders in these difficult times», – stated Radkovsky.

The metropolitan also presented awards to government representatives and military personnel for their contributions to the spiritual revival of the country.

In his speech, he emphasized the importance of spiritual security in Ukraine and the challenges faced by the Church in times of aggression.

Among those awarded was also Andriy Babenko, a regional council deputy.