{"id":19796,"date":"2025-04-17T14:23:38","date_gmt":"2025-04-17T11:23:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/?p=19796"},"modified":"2025-04-17T14:23:38","modified_gmt":"2025-04-17T11:23:38","slug":"the-russians-tried-to-kill-me-firsthand-account-from-kherson-ukraine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/the-russians-tried-to-kill-me-firsthand-account-from-kherson-ukraine\/","title":{"rendered":"The Russians Tried to Kill Me | Firsthand Account from Kherson, Ukraine"},"content":{"rendered":"
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This video clip that recently went viral hit close to home\u2014literally. I\u2019ve been on this road multiple times. It wasn\u2019t me in the footage, but I\u2019ve lived through the very same kind of attack. The truth is, the Russians did<\/em> try to kill me. They tried to kill everyone who was in the car with me. They failed, by the grace of God. But the experience taught me something significant, and I believe it\u2019s important to share it\u2014not for sympathy or praise\u2014but to shine light on the truth<\/em> of what\u2019s happening in Ukraine.<\/p>\r\n

This is not a political message or the opinion of a an armchair warrior. This is a firsthand account from some who lives in Ukraine.<\/p>\r\n

A Human Safari<\/h3>\r\n

In the city of Kherson, there\u2019s a chilling term locals have started to use: \u201cHuman Safari.\u201d<\/strong> That\u2019s literally what Russians are doing as they hunt down civilians with their drones. They don’t care if it’s men, women, children, the elderly.\u00a0 Anyone is fair game.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

The videos are often proudly posted on Russian social media, set to heavy metal music, with gloating commentary. But for Ukrainians, it\u2019s not a game\u2014it\u2019s terror.<\/p>\r\n

You can easily see that the van in the clip I share is not military. It was evacuating civilians, mainly elderly people who have been left behind and find themselves now targets of twisted Russian game of human safari.<\/p>\r\n

My Experience<\/h3>\r\n

Last year, I was in that exact area\u2014just a block from where the video was filmed\u2014visiting a local pastor, Pastor Oleg<\/em>. We knew he Russians were just on the other side of the river. Still, it was calm when we arrived.<\/p>\r\n

When we arrived Pastor Oleg came out to greet me and asked, \u201cDidn\u2019t you get my message?\u201d
\u201cWhat message?\u201d I asked.
\u201cThe Russians just bombed three cars, 150 yards from here.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

I hadn’t received his message because I had shut my phone down for security reasons in that area.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

We quickly headed into the house for relative safety, sat down talked a bit and prayed. As we did, the explosions began and then grew louder and closer. We waited for a lull, then I told my those with me \u201cLet\u2019s go. Now. Straight to the car. No lingering outside\u201d<\/p>\r\n

We jumped into the car and started driving. Just 100 yards down a dirt road, we saw an elderly woman sitting beside the road, her hand bloodied from a drone attack just minutes ago. Smoke was still rising from the middle of the street. I hesitated. Turn right or go straight? I\u2019d been both ways before. I don\u2019t know why, but something prompted me to turn right.<\/p>\r\n

Seconds later, the Russians dropped an explosive right where we would<\/em> have been if I\u2019d gone straight. Just 30 yards from us. I didn’t realize it but a drone had been following our van directly above us, they were targeting us.<\/p>\r\n

We were not military. We didn\u2019t look like military. We were just civilians trying to leave. But they had a drone on us, and they tried to kill us.<\/p>\r\n

Evil on Display<\/h3>\r\n

This is evil\u2014pure, deliberate evil. And it comes from a worldview that has no value for human life. Civilians as disposable, they are nothing more than soft targets. People sometimes say, \u201cOh, Russia and Ukraine are similar.\u201d I beg to differ. I\u2019ve seen the difference. I\u2019ve felt<\/em> the difference.<\/p>\r\n

The Bible doesn\u2019t shy away from describing this kind of evil. In Psalm 10, David writes:<\/p>\r\n

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\u201cHe lies in wait near the villages; from ambush he murders the innocent.
His eyes watch in secret for his victims…
He catches the helpless and drags them off in his net.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n

That\u2019s exactly what we\u2019re experiencing. Drones watch from above, ambush the helpless, and strike.<\/p>\r\n

Later in the Psalm, David cries:<\/p>\r\n

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\u201cArise, Lord! Lift up your hand, O God. Do not forget the helpless.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n

That\u2019s our prayer. And that\u2019s what we ask of you too.<\/p>\r\n

The Church\u2019s Role<\/h3>\r\n

Our role as Christians is not military. But it is spiritual. And spiritual battles are real<\/em> in war. Evil doesn\u2019t just destroy homes and bodies\u2014it poisons hearts and minds.<\/p>\r\n

If the Church remains silent, the darkness creeps deeper. But when we preach hope of Jesus, when we offer compassion, when we serve in Christ\u2019s name, we fight back<\/em>. Pastor Oleg, even after losing both of his vehicles and his home to drone strikes, continues to serve in a relatively safer part of the city. He\u2019s giving hope, sharing the gospel, and shining light in the darkness.<\/p>\r\n

Every war has deep spiritual implications and that is true for what is happening in Ukraine. People can easily grow bitter, angry, and hateful when they experience such evil against them. That is why Ukraine needs the Church and the redemptive hope of the gospel now more than ever. In the end Hope is more powerful than terror, and the love of Christ is greater than the hate of Russians towards the Ukrainian people.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

Why Support Ukraine?<\/h3>\r\n

Because it\u2019s not just a political issue\u2014it\u2019s a gospel<\/strong> issue.<\/p>\r\n

Despite what some say, the truth is Ukraine still has tremendous religious freedom. We can still share the gospel here without fear of government persecution. But if Russia fully occupies this land, that freedom will vanish. Churches will be closed. I would be forced to leave and the freedom to preach the gospel would dwindle away.<\/p>\r\n

So yes\u2014pray for Ukraine. Yes\u2014stand with Ukraine. But also, support the spread of the gospel here. That\u2019s how we win. That\u2019s how light pushes back against the darkness.<\/p>\r\n

From someone who has lived through it: please do not forget the helpless!<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This video clip that recently went viral hit close to home\u2014literally. I\u2019ve been on this road multiple times. It wasn\u2019t me in the footage,<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":19178,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"video","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[297,193],"tags":[560],"class_list":["post-19796","post","type-post","status-publish","format-video","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-podcast","category-ukraine-2","tag-sermons","post_format-post-format-video"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Americas-identity-crisis.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3izZc-59i","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":16411,"url":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/why-was-pastor-oleksandr-tortured-by-russians\/","url_meta":{"origin":19796,"position":0},"title":"Why Was Pastor Oleksandr Tortured By Russians?","author":"Caleb Suko","date":"January 17, 2023","format":"video","excerpt":"Pastor Oleksandr chose to stay in Balakleya after Russian troops took over the city. One day Russian soldiers came to his home and said they needed to talk with him. They took him to the police station where they interrogated him and beat him until he was very near death.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Ukraine"","block_context":{"text":"Ukraine","link":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/category\/ukraine-2\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":4368,"url":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/37-how-living-in-wartime-changes-your-perspective\/","url_meta":{"origin":19796,"position":1},"title":"#37 How Living in Wartime Changes Your Perspective","author":"Caleb Suko","date":"September 12, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Yesterday a military helicopter flew over my head and these were my first thoughts: Are they responding to an attack on Odessa? Is it a Ukrainian helicopter or are the Russians already here? Are they going towards the conflict or away? In this episode of \"Now Is the Time\" I\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Ministry"","block_context":{"text":"Ministry","link":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/category\/ministry\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/lughansk-airport-destroyed.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/lughansk-airport-destroyed.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/lughansk-airport-destroyed.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5104,"url":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/terrorist-kill-3-injure-10-during-peace-march-in-kharkiv-ukraine\/","url_meta":{"origin":19796,"position":2},"title":"Terrorist Kill 3 Injure 10 During Peace March in Kharkiv Ukraine","author":"Caleb Suko","date":"February 22, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Today a peaceful march in support of the unity of Ukraine was interrupted by a bomb blast which took the lives of two marchers and one police man and injured ten others. You can read more details about the attack here on Mashable. Unfortunately these are the kind of terror\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Ukraine"","block_context":{"text":"Ukraine","link":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/category\/ukraine-2\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/B-cl6BfIQAAdj8n.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/B-cl6BfIQAAdj8n.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/B-cl6BfIQAAdj8n.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3871,"url":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/praying-for-ukraine-a-7-day-guide\/","url_meta":{"origin":19796,"position":3},"title":"Praying for Ukraine -A 7 Day Guide","author":"Caleb Suko","date":"April 24, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Recently our team of missionaries decided that we need to raise awareness of what is happening in Ukraine and to encourage people to pray. We created a facebook page called \"God at Work in Ukraine\"\u00a0 and we developed a 7 day prayer guide to help you effectively pray for Ukraine.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Ukraine"","block_context":{"text":"Ukraine","link":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/category\/ukraine-2\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/Camera-Roll1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/Camera-Roll1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/Camera-Roll1.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4696,"url":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/thank-you-from-the-sukos\/","url_meta":{"origin":19796,"position":4},"title":"Thank You From the Sukos!","author":"Caleb Suko","date":"November 28, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Today Christina and I want to take a few moments to simply say \"Thank you!\" We've already finished our Thanksgiving dinner here in Ukraine. Guests have gone home and the house is quiet. It was a blessed day, one that we were able to share with some of our closets\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Family"","block_context":{"text":"Family","link":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/category\/family\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/family-thanksgiving.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/family-thanksgiving.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/family-thanksgiving.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4332,"url":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/36-a-dark-cloud-is-rolling-over-ukraine-9-ways-you-can-pray\/","url_meta":{"origin":19796,"position":5},"title":"#36 A Dark Cloud is Rolling Over Ukraine -9 Ways You Can Pray!","author":"Caleb Suko","date":"September 4, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Last night we had a refugee family from Eastern Ukraine over to our place for dinner. We talked for a very long time about the war, about the church, and about what will happen in Ukraine! In this episode of \"Now Is the Time\"\u00a0I share with you some of the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "The Gospel Today"","block_context":{"text":"The Gospel Today","link":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/category\/podcast\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/photo-marcio-001.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/photo-marcio-001.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/photo-marcio-001.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19796","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19796"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19796\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19798,"href":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19796\/revisions\/19798"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19178"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19796"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19796"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19796"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}