Russian forces kill Ukrainian priest in occupied part of Kherson Oblast

Russian forces reportedly killed a Ukrainian priest, Stepan Podolchak, in the town of Kalanchak in the occupied part of Kherson Oblast, the town's military administration said on Feb. 15.

Podolchak was kidnapped from his home two days earlier by Russian forces, representatives from Kalanchak's military administration told the Suspilne media outlet.

"Today, it was discovered that (the Russians) killed the brightest person I was lucky enough to meet in my life," the military administration wrote on Facebook.

According to Suspilne, Podolchak continued to hold services in the Ukrainian language under Russian occupation and refused to be transferred to work under the Moscow Patriarchate.

Kalanchak is located around 30 kilometers from the administrative border with occupied Crimea. Russian forces have occupied it since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in February 2022.