Evangelical Church Deacon Oleksandr Sheshenko Killed in Russian Airstrike on Sumy
On September 29, a Russian airstrike on a residential area of Sumy killed Oleksandr Sheshenko, a deacon of a local church affiliated with the International Council of Churches of Evangelical Christians-Baptists (ICCECB). A guided aerial bomb struck the yard of the home where the church minister lived with his wife. Valentyna Sheshenko sustained serious injuries and was hospitalized.
Source: Suspilne
Oleksandr Vasylovych Sheshenko, born in 1952, served as a deacon at an ICCECB church in Sumy. Ministers of the ICCECB Kharkiv association reported his death.
The information about the circumstances of the minister’s death is consistent with reports from local authorities and emergency services concerning the Russian attack on the city. During the day on September 29, Russian forces dropped four guided aerial bombs on Sumy. Two struck residential areas, another hit a school, and the fourth struck the city’s central cemetery. Two people were killed and nine others were injured, including children.
Aerial Bomb Struck Near the Sheshenko Family Home
According to ICCECB ministers, Oleksandr Sheshenko and his wife were at home when a Russian aerial bomb struck their yard.
The deacon was killed. His wife, Valentyna Oleksiivna Sheshenko, born in 1955, sustained serious injuries and was taken to a medical facility.
The church association appealed to Christians to support the family in prayer and to pray for Valentyna Sheshenko’s recovery.
“We express our sincere condolences to the Sheshenko family and call on everyone to pray that God will give their relatives and loved ones the strength to endure this grief. We also ask you to pray for the healing of Sister Valentyna Oleksiivna.”
In their statement, the believers reflected on the deacon’s death through the lens of Christian hope: “Sadly, Brother Oleksandr Vasylovych was killed. He is now with the Lord.”
Russia Dropped Four Aerial Bombs on Sumy
The strike on the Sheshenko family home was part of a broader Russian attack on civilian infrastructure in Sumy.
According to the Sumy Regional Military Administration, between September 29 and 30, Russian forces carried out more than 60 attacks on 25 communities in the region. In Sumy itself, strikes involving guided aerial bombs killed a 74-year-old man and a 70-year-old woman.
Suspilne reported that two of the four guided aerial bombs struck a residential neighborhood of private homes. Two houses were completely destroyed. Rescuers recovered the bodies of a man and a woman from the rubble. Another aerial bomb struck a school where children were present at the time, while the fourth hit the grounds of the city’s central cemetery.
Police are documenting the consequences of the attack. Immediately after the strikes, law enforcement officials reported two people killed and at least six injured, including three children. The number of casualties was later updated.
“Let Us Lift Up Our Sincere Prayers for Peace”
For the ICCECB community, the death of Oleksandr Sheshenko represents not only another life lost in a Russian attack on Sumy, but also the loss of a brother in faith and a minister of a local church.
In their appeal, the Kharkiv association called on churches to pray not only for the injured Valentyna Sheshenko and the family of the deceased, but also for an end to the war:
“Let us lift up our sincere prayers for peace to Almighty God, who alone has the power to stop the evil of war, wipe away every tear, and comfort grieving hearts.”
Behind the statistics of war are individual human lives — families, communities, and ministries. The name of Deacon Oleksandr Vasylovych Sheshenko is now also among those whose lives have been taken by Russia’s attacks on Ukraine.
The Christian community is asking for prayers for comfort for his loved ones and for the recovery of his wife, Valentyna.
