Ukraine: Caritas worker killed in missile strike

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Source: CAFOD

With great sorrow, the Caritas Internationalis family shares the following communication from Caritas Ukraine, following the tragic death of Yana Zhernovskaya, a 40 year-old social worker at Caritas Kharkiv, who was killed in a missile strike on Sunday, 26 July.

Please join CAFOD in holding Yana, the Zhernovskaya family and the Caritas Ukraine team in your thoughts and prayers at this terrible moment.

We stand with our colleagues at Caritas Ukraine who continue to provide life-saving assistance to those in need, under daily threat of attack and at great risk to their own personal safety.

"With heavy hearts, we share the tragic news of the death of our colleague Yana Zhernovskaya, a social worker at Caritas Kharkiv. On July 26, we lost Yana in a Russian missile strike that struck her family's home.

"Her 10-year-old son, was injured in the same attack. In 2022, due to the full-scale war, they were forced to leave their hometown of Vovchansk and start a new life in Kharkiv. Yana worked as a social worker on the "VITAL - Initiative for Telemedical Care and Life Support" project. Every day, she devoted herself to helping others.

"This is a heavy loss for the entire Caritas community. Every day, despite the war, our colleagues support people who are going through the most difficult moments of their lives. Today, we mourn one of our own.

"We extend our sincere condolences to Yana's family and loved ones, her colleagues at Caritas Kharkiv, and everyone who knew her. No words can ease the pain of such a loss.

"But we want Yana's family to know that they are not alone. We are here for them-in prayer and in action, today and in the days ahead. May the Lord in His mercy welcome Yana home, and may He grant her loved ones the comfort and strength they need to carry this loss."