Thieves Steal Bells and Sacred Items from Sviatohirsk Lavra Skete

Photo: svlavra.church.ua

DONETSK, UKRAINE — Unknown assailants burglarized the skete of the Holy Dormition Sviatohirsk Lavra dedicated to the icon of the Mother of God “Joy of All Who Sorrow” during the night of January 24–25, 2026, making off with church bells and sacred liturgical items.

According to initial reports, a guard arriving on the morning of January 25 discovered the gates forced open, with chains cut and the doors to both the lower and upper chapels broken in. Tracks from a cargo vehicle and numerous footprints around the church indicated that the theft was carried out by a group.

Eight of the skete’s ten bells were removed from the bell tower. Vandals tore out the clappers, damaged the largest bells, and carried away smaller ones through the church itself. Sacred items were also stolen from inside the church and even from the altar, where Gospel books, lamps, candleholders, and other liturgical furnishings were taken or desecrated.

A formal complaint has been filed with local police.

Previously, the UOJ reported that Islamists desecrate Orthodox and Presbyterian churches in Sudan. 

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