On August 5, 2026, in the cathedral in honor of the Apostle Andrew the First-Called in Gelendzhik, Bishop Sergiy of Novorossiysk and Gelendzhik celebrated a requiem mass for those who died as a result of strikes by Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles in the village of Arkhipo-Osipovka, Krasnodar Territory.
Archpriest Maxim Pyankov, dean of the Gelendzhik district of the Novorossiysk Diocese, rector of the cathedral, and Priest Alexander Cherepanov, cleric of the cathedral, served the ruling bishop. Prayer hymns were performed by the children's choir of St. Andrew's Cathedral in Gelendzhik. Residents and guests of the resort town prayed during the service.
Before the beginning of the requiem mass, Bishop Sergius delivered a speech in which he called on all believers to pray for the repose of the innocent victims and for the speedy recovery of the injured. The Archpastor read out the condolences of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia to the families and friends of those killed and injured in the UAV attack in Gelendzhik.
With the blessing of Bishop Sergius of Novorossiysk and Gelendzhik, prayers will be offered in all churches of the Novorossiysk diocese for 40 days for the repose of the dead and the recovery of those injured in the terrorist attack in the village of Arkhipo-Osipovka.
After the service, Bishop Sergius visited the village of Arkhipo-Osipovka. First of all, the archpastor went to the place of the tragedy — the beach area of the settlement, where peaceful vacationers died and suffered on August 3. The bishop was met by A.A. Lipovetsky, head of the administration of the Arkhipo-Osipovsky inner-city district, Archpriest Maxim Pyankov, dean of the Gelendzhik district, with clergy, and residents of the village of Arkhipo-Osipovka.
The head of the administration told the archpastor about the tragedy. The clergy sang "Eternal Memory" to the dead. Then Vladyka Sergius and those present laid flowers at the memorial in memory of the victims and prayed. Bishop Sergius expressed his deep condolences to the families and friends of the victims and called on the villagers to preserve their spiritual courage, firmness in faith and prayerful unity in the face of common trials.