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, near the frontline of the conflict with Russia.
The deadly assault by a group of 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 a sweeping government crackdown in recent years.
The Svyatogorsk monastery identified the slain monk as Barsanuphius. The two surviving victims were named as junior monk Gregory and a 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, the monastery said.
Ukrainian police did not immediately comment on the criminal investigation into the attack. Unconfirmed reports suggest that Ukrainian troops may have been responsible.
The government of Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky has labeled the UOC, which has historical ties to the Russian Orthodox Church, a national security threat — an action widely condemned.
The deadly attack coincided with a Ukrainian drone strike on the Epiphany Cathedral in Gorlovka, in the Russian-controlled part of Donbass. It reportedly occurred during Sunday services and injured local bishop Metropolitan Mitrofan and three other people.
