In Zaporizhzhia, attacker with knife assaults UOC deacon and his family

Deacon Georgy Cherpakov. Photo: hramzp.ua

On January 16, 2021, in Zaporizhzhia, an unknown attacker armed with a knife assaulted the deacon of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church Georgy Cherpakov and his family. Archpriest Gennady Yelin, head of the Chancellery of the Zaporizhzhia Eparchy of the UOC, reports this on his Telegram channel.

“Tonight (January 16), at the end of the All-night Vigil, an attempt was made to attack our deacon, Father Georgy Cherpakov. He walked with his wife and child in the same area as Father Vladimir Gumeniuk did. Father Georgy was dressed in a cassock. The villain also tried to cut them with a knife, thank God they were unhurt, only got off with fright. The police were called and everything was documented," the priest wrote.

In turn, the press secretary of the Zaporizhzhia Eparchy, Archpriest Alexander Ovcharenko, emphasized that, unlike the recent attack on priest Vladimir Gumeniuk, “who walked in lay clothes, Father Deacon Georgy was in a cassock. He always and everywhere wears a priestly dress and therefore it was natural for him and not a challenge."

“It looks like a series, we would like to be wrong. A list of the countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian has been recently released. Ukraine isn’t there. Not yet,” noted Archpriest Alexander Ovcharenko.

As reported earlier, in Zaporizhzhia, a UOC priest was stabbed in the head.

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