Across Europe, Ukrainian exiles pray for peace back home

By KIRSTEN GRIESHABER
Associated Press

BERLIN (AP) — Across Europe, Ukrainians have gathered for church services to pray for peace in their war-torn country. Newly arrived refugees and long-time members of Europe’s 1.5 million-strong Ukrainian diaspora mingled at houses of worship all over the continent, from Germany to Romania to Moldova. Often they combined their prayers with hands-on work packing boxes with medical or hygiene supplies to be send to embattled family members and friends back home. Since Russia attacked Ukraine more than three weeks ago, over 3.38 million people have fled the country, according to the U.N. Most have escaped to neighboring Poland, Romania or Moldova, but as the war continues many are moving further west to Germany and elsewhere.