During church raid in Verkhni Stanivtsi, police officer strikes parishioner
Police officer caught at the moment of the blow. Photo: UOJ
On April 12, 2025, during the seizure of the UOC’s St. Nicholas Church in the village of Verkhni Stanivtsi, Bukovyna, a police officer struck a female parishioner of the church on the head. The video was posted on Facebook by a local soldier from Stanivtsi, Ivan Mykhailyuk. According to him, the woman was his mother.
“Tough guy – are you ready to do to me what you did to my mom? I’m waiting for you to message me. Or are you only capable of that with women?” the soldier wrote, asking followers to help identify the officer.
The video shows the police officer not only hitting the woman, but also shouting at her that she would “die.”
Earlier, the UOJ reported that footage had surfaced showing police assisting raiders during the church takeover in Verkhni Stanivtsi.
Read also
Met. Varsonofiy сelebrates Liturgy at persecuted UOC parish in Stryzhavka
A UOC hierarch officiated the Nativity service and offered prayers for peace in Ukraine.
Seized Dormition Cathedral in Volodymyr transferred from UOC to OCU control
Huz stated that after being handed to the OCU, the Dormition Cathedral in Volodymyr will be “Ukrainian and alive”.
In Brussels, Cardinal Parolin urges Europe to remember its Christian roots
The Vatican Secretary of State spoke at the Cathedral of Saints Michael and Gudula on the occasion of its eight-hundredth anniversary and recalled Europe’s spiritual mission.
388 mln Christians face persecution and discrimination over faith – report
The organization Portes Ouvertes has published research findings concluding that pressure on believers worldwide has intensified.
Archbishop of Albania: Orthodoxy is a key pillar of Albania’s European path
During a visit to Brussels, the Primate of the Albanian Orthodox Church underscored the importance of Orthodoxy for the country’s integration into the EU and for maintaining interreligious balance in society.
His Beatitude leads divine service at Lavra on Circumcision of the Lord feast
During the festive service at the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, special prayers were offered for peace on the Ukrainian land and for God’s blessing upon the new year.