Dumenko awards a raider of UOC Cathedral in Cherkasy

A participant in the seizure of St. Michael’s Cathedral receives an award from Dumenko. Collage: UOJ

On May 22, 2025, the head of the OCU, Epifaniy Dumenko, awarded Vyacheslav Hora, head of Cherkasy’s territorial defense, a “Blessing Certificate.” According to Hora, he considers it an award “for the entire Volunteer Formation of the Cherkasy Territorial Community for services to the OCU and the devout people.”

“The Volunteer Formation always supports its community and shares the desire of believers to pray in the Ukrainian church, which makes this distinction especially important to us,” Hora wrote.

Meanwhile, journalists from First Cossack published photos showing Hora participating in the seizure of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church’s St. Michael’s Cathedral in Cherkasy, highlighting that it was he and his subordinates who “carried out a violent assault and looting of the sacred site.”

The outlet also published documents showing that Hora receives funding from the City Council. “In other words, he engages in raiding and assaults on Christians using municipal funds,” the journalists noted.

As a reminder, a Member of Parliament named those who took part in the storming of St. Michael’s Cathedral.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that a militant who opened fire on parishioners during the assault on the cathedral had been nominated to serve on Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense Council.

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