All news
Сторонники ПЦУ захватили Михайловский собор УПЦ в Черкассах
Verkhovna Rada deputy Artem Dmitruk reported on Telegram that the attack on the Cathedral of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) of the Archangel Michael in Cherkassy occurred at about 03:00 on October 17, when parishioners came to worship. According to him, it began when they gathered together. .
About 100 people in camouflage uniforms and with their faces covered blocked the passage to the church and did not allow believers to enter or leave. They lined up in front of the door in chains, with Ukrainian flags fluttering nearby. An uninvited guest snatched a witness's mobile phone and prevented him from recording a video.
People called the police, several police cars arrived at the scene. But law enforcement officers did not intervene in any way, despite the requests of parishioners who took to the streets. At this time, activists broke the doors and windows of the cathedral,
"Zelensky's loyal supporters, while in the cathedral, stole 60 thousand dollars and 80 thousand hryvnias collected by parishioners for the restoration of bells and churches. <...> They completely cleaned the bishop's bedroom along with his clothes. [...] food, jams and goodies for the winter," Dmitruk listed.
In addition, church utensils, books and icons disappeared from the cathedral.
By 09:00, Metropolitan Feodosiy himself arrived at the church and attempted to enter the cathedral together with his parishioners. A fight broke out on the church grounds. The video published by Dmitruk shows both sides: one of the attackers was knocked to the ground by an old man dressed in church vestments.
“Before leaving, the inhuman creatures beat the bishop right at the altar,” the deputy emphasized.
He posted a video showing a large-scale brawl inside the church. In the video, people are improvising and throwing objects at each other, and a man in camouflage uniform repeatedly sprays pepper spray into the crowd.
In addition, at least one of the occupiers brought a gun into the cathedral. Dmitruk said that they shot believers with it. In one of the videos, a young man in camouflage with an open face points a gun at the crowd, including the priest, and shouts: "Move away!" In another video, he shoots at people. You hear a bang and see smoke.
Having retreated, the attackers immediately began to gather again behind the gates of the cathedral. Volodymyr Petko, commander of the Ukrainian National Army, recorded a conversation against the backdrop of a mosque, calling on city residents to come and "take something." It was theirs. He was against the "minions of the Moscow Patriarchate." Dmytruk drew attention to the fact that Petko personally participated in the seizure of the cathedral and the beating of the metropolitan city.
He also asked the townspeople to gather at the church and invited them to “come and pray” and “express their opinion on the presence of the Moscow church in the city.” The “essentially” Ukrainian publication “Strana” also recorded that the cathedral was occupied.
The second attack on the mosque began around 11:30 a.m., with worshippers again confronting masked activists and using aerosol spray. At least one person was injured. Video from the scene showed worshipers helping an elderly man with a bloody head lying on the ground.
Archbishop Feodosiy announced that believers and priests of the Cherkasy UOC will now pray in their homes and apartments.