Ukrainian-American pastor in VA shares haunting image of people huddled in Ukraine basement

close

Video

SEE IT: Explosions rock Ukraine in video from the ground

In dramatic footage shared with Fox News Digital by an American who has friends and family living outside Kyiv, Ukrainians record attacks on their homeland, on Feb. 24, 2022.

A Ukrainian-American pastor in Lynchburg, Virginia, said he's terribly concerned for the people of Ukraine in light of this week's Russia invasion — and sent an image to Fox News Digital showing Ukrainians huddled in the basement of a home in an effort to seek shelter and safety.

Yet even amid the difficulty, the pastor sees signs of the "strength" and "resilience" of the Ukrainian people that make him proud and hopeful. 

Pastor Andrew Moroz told Fox News Digital in an interview on Saturday afternoon that in recent years, "It's been amazing to see the flourishing of a nation and of democracy — and also the fight to break free from that old former Soviet life." 

RUSSIA INVADES UKRAINE: LIVE UPDATES

But what is going on right now, he also said, is a fight not just for democracy — it's "a fight for religious freedom as well."

That's because Russian President Vladimir Putin is demanding that all Ukrainians defer to the Russian Orthodox Church — the state church — not the newly independent Ukrainian Orthodox Church, or any other faiths or denominations. "This is the way a dictator operates," said Moroz. "This is one of his public demands."

DRAMATIC VIDEO TAKEN FROM SPEEDING CAR SHOWS UKRAINE DEVASTATION

Pastor Moroz is a lead elder at Gospel Community Church in Lynchburg, Virginia; he was born in Ukraine in 1986. His family immigrated to the U.S. in the mid-1990s, and since that time, he's been able to "spend more time in Ukraine" and even bring his family there for visits.

Pastor Moroz shared this image with Fox News Digital of Ukrainians crowded into the basement of a house during the Russian attacks on their country. This was sent to him by people he knows there. He said the Ukrainians have "a courageous humility." (Pastor Andrew Moroz)

"The people of Ukraine want to remain free to practice their faith" and worship the Lord as they see fit, he said. They do not want to submit to Putin's demands in terms of acquiescence of any kind.

"Ukraine has experienced so much religious freedom over the last 30 years," he said. 

"And that's the threat [right now]. I have quite a few relationships with evangelical leaders, pastors and nonprofits, and the threat for them is about going backwards — going backwards 30 years, 40 years, and not being able to express their faith" as they choose to, he said.

Pastor Andrew Moroz of Lynchburg, Virginia, shared his concerns for the people of Ukraine — including his relatives, friends and colleagues there — on Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022, in an interview with Fox News Digital.  (Pastor Andrew Moroz)

"The Ukrainians are very resilient people," he added. 

"I'm hearing a beautiful defiance" right now in the faith-based community as they defend their country and their freedoms, the pastor said.

RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR: FAITH LEADER SAYS 'HUMAN LIFE MORE SACRED THAN LAND'

No matter what happens, he said the Ukrainians are saying to themselves, "We're going to keep serving each other and the Lord." They're doing this "out of courageous humility." 

Said Moroz further, "Their wish is for this to be resolved peacefully so that they can continue to function as a sovereign nation."

Pastor Moroz said the people of Ukraine, including his own family, have "had to practice our faith in secret in the past — we know what that is like. We have lived under a regime where we were not allowed to practice our faith."

His mother, who today lives in upstate New York, is "a mess" right now as she worries about relatives and friends in Ukraine, he said. 

RUSSIA'S WAR ON UKRAINE: ‘BABIES AND CHILDREN PAY THE HIGHEST PRICE’

"She remembers the oppression" of earlier years. She lived in Ukraine when it was part of the former Soviet Union and "suffered" a great deal, he said. 

On February 25, 2022, in Kyiv, Ukraine, a girl looks at the crater left by an explosion in front of an apartment building that was heavily damaged during ongoing military operations. (UNICEF)

"She made a decision to practice her faith even under communism. There were consequences, painful consequences, for that. So she's experiencing this moment in light of that, and she doesn't wish that on anybody … It's devastating" for her, he said. 

Pastor Moroz also emphasized that even amid the pain, "there is the resilience of the Ukrainian people. They've found ways to live their lives even in the midst of difficult circumstances."

A woman is shown deep in prayer in this image. Pastor Andrew Moroz's faith community has been rallying for the people of Ukraine in their time of hardship, he told Fox News Digital on Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022.

Moroz also said that because he "is cross-cultural and multinational," the church at which he serves has been very active around the globe. "In previous crises, we were there — we were at work in countries all over the world."

This crisis in Ukraine, he said, "just hits really close to home." He said his faith community has been rallying for the people of Ukraine. "We have stopped what we're doing [during the day] and just prayed for the Ukrainians … And we share truth and good information, as well as support. We had a prayer meeting last night," he also said. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

"We had people praying in many languages, including Ukrainian. I'm praying that God redeems this difficult conflict," he said. "I hope that He brings people closer together" as a result of what's going on.