Beaten priest reveals details of OCU militant attack in Ukraine

Priest Vitalii Honcharuk. Photo: UOJ

This story was originally published on the UOJ's Ukrainian branch (SPZh) site.

CHERNIVTSI — During the June 17, 2025, assault on the Holy Spirit Cathedral in Chernivtsi, Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) Priest Fr. Vitalii Honcharuk suffered a broken nose, head lacerations, and a concussion at the hands of Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) militants. He described the attack as brutal and deliberate.

“I was walking near the cathedral fence when a young man came toward me, trying to climb over to grab a phone. Then I was struck from behind and fell to the ground,” said the injured priest.

Thanks to Deacon Nazar, who distracted the attackers, Fr. Vitalii was able to stand up. “He ran toward me, drew their attention, and I managed to get back on my feet,” the priest recounted.

However, the beating continued. “At first, I saw three of them. But once I hit the ground, I couldn’t see how many there were – I just felt the blows raining down on my head and wherever else they could reach.”

Fr. Vitalii expressed special thanks to Fr. Roman Forost, who, despite his own injuries, rushed to help him. “God gave him strength – after being severely beaten himself, he still ran over to save me. In the video, you can see him being hit again, punched and kicked while trying to help,” he said.

The attack was halted only when female parishioners intervened and alerted the police. “I’m grateful to the women who ran over – their shouting distracted the attackers and drew police attention,” said Fr. Vitalii.

He was surprised by the police response: instead of arresting the assailants, they told them to disperse. “I was shocked to hear the police say, ‘Move along, move along.’” Nonetheless, he thanked one officer who helped him while he lay on the ground bleeding.

Medical examinations confirmed Fr. Vitalii suffered a broken nose, a gash above his eyebrow, and a concussion.

He thanked everyone who came to his aid, saying the consequences could have been far worse. “If they hadn’t been stopped, I’d likely be in even worse condition,” he concluded.

Previously, UOJ reported that Fr. Roman Forost said the OCU militants arrived to the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Chernivtsi with the sole intent of violence.

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