A report on war-stricken Ukraine
Autumn Talk 2025
Welsh Chapel Hall, 881 High Road, Leytonstone, E11 1HR
7.15pm, Friday 17th October 2025
Ryan King is a Londoner. But each year, he spends time in Ukraine for work and with his wife’s family who live there. He’s seen the terrible impact of Russia’s aggression on a society, and on individual lives. And in October, he’s going to give a talk for us about his experience of all that’s happened since the invasion of 2022. Anyone is welcome to come and hear his first-hand report of life in a country in crisis.
But Ryan will not just talk and answer questions about the war. As a Christian minister, he’s had to think about the question “Why would God allow such evil to be done?”, and he’ll be addressing that too, which promises to be stimulating. So do join us. To give you a taster, here’s a brief introduction from Ryan.
For as long as I’ve been travelling to Ukraine, they have been at war. In 2014, a people’s protest movement called “Euromaidan” or the “Revolution of Dignity” sought to escape the lingering shadow of the former Soviet Union and the corrupting influence of Russia by pushing back against a government that stood in the way of more open democracy, economic opportunity, and the rule of law. Viktor Yanukovych was consequently removed from the nation’s presidency by parliamentary vote, after which he led the country to Russia. His interim replacement, incidentally, was a Baptist pastor. Russia retaliated by exploiting Ukraine’s political upheaval and systemic weakness, annexing Crimea and supporting violent separatist uprisings in the east of Ukraine. For Ukrainians, invasion and war started in 2014. I first visited to speak at a conference in 2015.
The world really began to take notice of the conflict in late 2021, when substantial troop build up along the borders of Ukraine with Russia and Belarus were observed, and intelligence leaks indicated Russia intended to take control of the entire nation and install a puppet regime. Many, even in Ukraine, were in denial that Russian President Vladimir Putin would be so audacious: cyber attacks, a disinformation propaganda campaign, and an attempt at finally seizing control of the Donbas region in the east perhaps, but not a full scale invasion. That changed in the early hours of 24 February, when bombs and missiles rained down across the nation.
What is it like to have family besieged, friends under ire, or visit a warzone and go to sleep during a drone assault or be awakened by air raid sirens and bombs? How do people respond? Where is God?
Join us for an evening with Ryan, as he answers these and other questions. All are welcome to come and there will be time for questions, if you want to quiz Ryan about his talk and his faith. The talk will also be live online via Zoom.
Zoom Link
858 4947 0678 / D310r3s / Press here to connect