On the morning of November 29, 2025, Pastor Evheny Salfetnikiv and his family were driving out of Kyiv, heading home after a pastors’ gathering. They never made it out of the city before the war caught up with them again.
A Russian Kinzhal ballistic missile struck near the road they were traveling. In an instant, the shockwave ripped the roof off their van, shattered every window, and hurled shrapnel in every direction. Pastor Evheny’s face was cut by flying glass, and the blast left him with significant hearing loss in one ear. His wife also suffered multiple facial lacerations. Their daughter, by God’s mercy, walked away uninjured.
Their vehicle—a ministry van regularly used to to evacuate people and to carry bread, water, and the hope of the gospel to villages on the front lines—was completely destroyed.
A Shepherd on the Edge of the War
Pastor Evheny leads God’s Design Church in Druzhkivka, a town painfully close to the front. For years he has carried out a courageous ministry to the surrounding villages that endure daily shelling. He brings them physical bread and water, but also something far more precious: the Bread of Life.
This was not his first close call.
In April 2025, while delivering supplies to another frontline village, his van was attacked by Russian FPV kamikaze drones. The vehicle was severely damaged, though he miraculously escaped without injury. Even then, he refused to stop serving those who suffer the most.
“People on the front lines need more than food,” he told me once. “They need hope. They need the gospel. As long as God gives me breath, I will go.”
A Ministry Vehicle Lost—But the Mission Continues
The van destroyed in this most recent attack was not simply transportation—it was a lifeline. From evacuations to food distribution to pastoral visits in dangerous areas, it served as the backbone of Pastor Evheny’s ministry.
Losing it is a significant setback.
When I chatted with him after the attack he mentioned his injuries only briefly. What concerned him most was how to continue reaching the villages that depend on him.
“We are alive,” he said. “This is God’s mercy. Now we must keep serving.”
And that is where we, the body of Christ, can help.
How You Can Stand With Pastor Evheny
Pastor Evheny and his wife survived this attack—but the work God has given them continues. Replacing their ministry van is urgent. Without it, access to dozens of frontline families, elderly residents, and isolated believers becomes nearly impossible.
If you would like to help provide Pastor Evheny with a new ministry vehicle, you can do so through The Gospel Today. Your gift will directly support a pastor who risks everything to bring both humanitarian relief and the hope of Christ into some of the darkest places in Ukraine.
Donate at The Gospel Today to help replace Pastor Evheny’s van and keep this vital ministry moving.
In a war that seeks to crush hope, Pastor Evheny continues to shine the light of Christ at great personal cost. Let’s stand with him—so that the gospel can continue to reach those who need it most.
