When war came to the town of Slovyansk in eastern Ukraine, the world Nataliia Bradarska knew began to crumble. Explosions echoed through the streets, homes were destroyed, lives were lost. She begged her husband, Viktor, to flee with her and their children.

But his response never changed: “I can’t. I am a servant of the church.”

So they stayed—through the fear, the danger, and the heartbreak. Two months into the war, everything changed.

“After Sunday service, we walked outside with other members of our church,” Nataliia recalled. “Armed men were already waiting in the yard. Without explanation, they took several of our men—including my Viktor.”

She was left with silence. No answers. No idea where he had been taken or why.

“I was afraid to leave my house that day. But then I thought, Who, if not the wife, will fight for him? So I went to the Security Service of Ukraine, where I was told the men had been forced to dig trenches. They said they’d be home soon. But the days turned into weeks. And no one returned.”

Thirty-five days passed before Nataliia learned what actually happened to her husband.

“Thirty-five endless days and sleepless nights. Hoping. Praying. And then I was told: all the men had been executed the same day they were taken. My husband’s body was found in a mass grave.”

Viktor was gone.

“I couldn’t believe it. We were the ‘dream family’—kind, loving, with three beautiful children. Nineteen years of marriage. So much we had done together. So much we still planned to do.”

The grief was overwhelming. But in her deepest pain, Nataliia found an anchor.

“The question became: How do I go on? And the answer, I discovered, was that I couldn’t—not without God. Without prayer, the Church, and the presence of the Lord, I would have been crushed. But through Him, I have found strength.”

In the face of unimaginable loss, Nataliia made a radical decision: to forgive.

“I saw the people who did this. My heart broke at the shedding of innocent blood. But eventually, I chose forgiveness. It was not easy. It still isn’t. But I have God. In Him, I find comfort and peace. Looking at my children, reading Scripture, I remember—I still have a purpose. My mission here is not finished.”

“Viktor is already there in heaven. We are on our way. And though the sorrow remains, I know God will walk with me through it. Because only He can wipe away every tear. Only He can heal the soul. Only He can give the strength to forgive the unforgivable. When death brings despair—only He can resurrect hope.”

This story was reported by our ministry partners, Great Commission Media Ministries who has played a significant role in helping provide care for suffering soldiers and their families during the Ukraine War.