Orbán responds to church arson in Zakarpattia: This will not go unanswered

Church in Palad-Komarivtsi was set on fire, with the words “Magyars to the knife” written on it. Photo: Viktor Orbán’s Facebook

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stated that unknown individuals set fire to a church in Zakarpattia and spray-painted the phrase “Magyars to the knife” on its walls. He shared the news along with a photo on his Facebook page on July 17, 2025.

“Forced conscription, killings, arson of churches, incitement, intimidation – this is what’s happening to our Hungarians in Zakarpattia. We will not leave this unaddressed – you can count on us!” Orbán wrote.

The Zakarpattia police have responded to the incident, reporting that it occurred around 10:00 p.m. on July 16 in the village of Palad-Komarivtsi.

According to law enforcement, an unknown individual entered the church grounds, set fire to the entrance door, and spray-painted a provocative message on the building's façade, inciting national and religious hatred.

The gathered evidence has been entered into the Unified Register of Pre-Trial Investigations under Part 1 of Article 161 and Part 2 of Article 194 of Ukraine’s Criminal Code. Police, in cooperation with the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), are currently conducting operations to identify and locate the perpetrators.

Based on the published photo, the targeted church appears to be a Protestant Reformed Church.

As previously reported by the UOJ, police in Dnipro released an arsonist who had set fire to a UOC church.

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