They Pulled Icons From a Burning Church While Tanks Fired at Them

On August 6, 2024, Ukrainian forces crossed into Russia's Kursk Oblast. At Gornal Monastery — located less than a kilometer from the Ukrainian border — Father Igor Vasyukov and Hieromonk Milety Pestunov were serving the Divine Liturgy when a tank shell hit directly under the balcony.

What followed was one of the most extraordinary accounts of faith, survival and war that we have ever recorded.

Chris sat down with both priests in the winter to hear what happened — in full.

🔸 A tank shell hits under Father Milety's balcony as he goes to make coffee — tables and coffee cups fly toward him

🔸 Father Feodosiy continues serving the Divine Liturgy as shells fall around the church

🔸 The church roof collapses onto the altar — five seconds after the priest moves the Holy Gifts from it

🔸 Three monks pull icons, relics and the Holy Gifts from a burning temple with a single crowbar as the dome burns above them

🔸 Father Milety takes five steps into the corridor with the last icon — the entire roof collapses behind him

🔸 Ukrainian forces stop their convoy at a checkpoint — Father Milety's forgotten drone detector saves his life

🔸 Sergei — a disabled monk in camouflage — is shot through the lung and killed instantly on the road out

🔸 The priests reach safety and immediately return to front line ministry

🔸 Father Milety, born in Kharkov, Ukraine: "These are our people, pumped full of propaganda. The only chance for Ukraine to survive is to return to Russia."

🔸 "In every Orthodox church, at every service, since the first day of the SMO, we pray not only for our people — but for the people of Ukraine."

Faith on the front line. Miracles in a burning monastery. And a monk who died on the road out.

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