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
Greece signs memorandum on protection of Jerusalem Patriarchate's shrines
Next week, the Greek Parliament will ratify a document on the protection of the cultural heritage of the Jerusalem Patriarchate.
Greek bishop calls imposition of same-sex marriage a threat
Metropolitan Seraphim of Kythera urged families to become a “domestic church” amid threats to the Christian family in Greek laws and school curricula.
Patriarch Bartholomew arrives in Budapest for opening of Orthodox center
The Ecumenical Patriarch has arrived in Hungary, where he will preside over the consecration of the Orthodox center "Phanarion."
OCU raiders stage attack on seized church in Kyiv, media
OCU "hierarch" Serhiy Horobtsov published a provocative post online regarding St. John's Church in Bykivnia seized by his people.