The Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) says Ukrainian military personnel may be among those suspected of carrying out an armed attack at the Svyatogorsk Lavra that left one monk dead and two other people seriously wounded.
The attack occurred on August 23 at the monastery, which is situated in Ukrainian-controlled territory near the frontline in Donetsk. According to monastery officials, armed men entered the grounds and killed a monk identified as Barsanuphius. A junior monk, Gregory, and a refugee, Andrey Kirienko, were seriously injured and taken to hospital.
Metropolitan Anthony, the UOC’s executive secretary, said in a Facebook post that the investigation would be conducted by Ukrainian military prosecutors. He argued that the involvement of an authority responsible for investigating offences committed by military personnel indicated that servicemen were being considered as potential suspects.
“The fact that the case will be handled by a unit, whose jurisdiction includes criminal offenses committed by military personnel, clearly demonstrates whom the investigators are considering as possible perpetrators,” Anthony said.
He called for an “objective and impartial” investigation free from political or ideological considerations.
Neither Ukrainian military prosecutors nor police had publicly identified suspects or commented on responsibility for the attack in the week following the incident.
Russian Orthodox Church spokesman Vakhtang Kipshidze linked the killing to what he described as a hostile campaign against the UOC, arguing that portraying the church as an enemy could encourage violence against its clergy and institutions.
The UOC has faced increasing scrutiny from Ukrainian authorities since the escalation of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in February 2022 because of its historical connections with the Russian Orthodox Church. Ukrainian authorities have accused some senior UOC clergy of activities threatening national security and have conducted searches of churches and monasteries.
The administration of Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has instead supported the rival Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), which was established as an independent church before the 2019 presidential election. The creation of the OCU contributed to a major division within global Orthodoxy, while disputes between the two churches over religious property have continued across Ukraine.
Ukrainian Orthodox monk Barsanouphius Turyansky was murdered at the Holy Dormition Svyatogorsk Lavra on 23rd August. His death certificate records a gunshot through the head and neck. A survivor says three men dressed in Ukrainian military uniforms attacked after he answered… pic.twitter.com/tWWPbajGkN
— The English Remnant (@Englishremnant) August 25, 2026
