Urgent: Explosion in the Church of the Moscow Patriarchate in Ukraine
The explosion occurred during an evening service on Friday in the Transfiguration Cathedral of the UOC of the Moscow Patriarchate in the city of Sumy.
This was reported by the press service of the diocese, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
“On the evening of January 18, 2019, during an evening service, when there were a large number of people in the church, an explosion occurred in the Transfiguration Cathedral in the city of Sumy. According to parishioners, unknown persons threw a device, which exploded in the vestibule of the temple. Remnants of explosives and damage to the interior indicate the force of the explosion. It was only by a lucky coincidence that no one was injured,” the message says.
Officers from various police departments and explosives experts quickly arrived at the scene of the incident.
According to the police report, experts found that “the object that exploded was not a saber, but an airsoft pyrotechnic that was loaded with corn kernels.”
“The premises were not damaged, there were no casualties. Based on this fact, the police opened criminal proceedings under the article “Hooliganism,” the security forces report.
“Orthodox believers in the regional center are outraged by the daring crime committed on the feast of the Epiphany. Sumy residents believe that the actions of the criminals are a direct consequence of the aggressive rhetoric that has recently been addressed to Orthodox citizens and incites hatred on religious grounds. After all, a number of provocations of this kind have occurred in Sumy recently. The general connivance of aggression against believers and impunity for offenders creates the threat of a more serious crime, which has happened now,” the diocese emphasizes.
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