Former UOC Priest Suspected in Fatal Shooting in Zakarpattia

VYSHKOVO, UKRAINE — A former clergyman of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) has been notified of suspicion in connection with a shooting that killed three people and wounded two others in the village of Vyshkovo, Khust District, Zakarpattia Region, on Thursday, according to regional law enforcement authorities.

Police received a report of the shooting at approximately 4 p.m. Investigators allege that the 45-year-old suspect first entered the yard of a local resident and shot the homeowner and his wife before going into the street and opening fire on passersby.

Two local men, aged 62 and 64, died at the scene. An 86-year-old woman later died in the hospital, while two men, aged 72 and 86, sustained gunshot wounds and received medical treatment.

The suspect was detained following a special police operation, and authorities are investigating the incident as the intentional murder of two or more people and attempted murder against the survivors. The suspect’s guilt has not been established, and the investigation is ongoing.

Police are examining a possible domestic dispute involving the suspect and other village residents as one potential motive, although the circumstances leading to the shooting have not been conclusively determined.

During searches at the suspect’s residence and the church where he served, officers seized several unregistered firearms, including an IZH-18 hunting rifle, ammunition, and a bag containing a substance resembling marijuana. The seized items were sent for forensic examination. Blood samples were also collected from the suspect to determine whether he was under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the shooting.

The suspect is being held in a temporary detention facility. Prosecutors are preparing to ask the court to remand him in custody without bail.

The investigation is continuing as authorities work to establish the motive and all circumstances of the attack.

Following his arrest, the former priest, whose identity is yet to be released, was reportedly dismissed by the UOC's Diocese of Mukachevo and Uzhhorod.

Previously, the UOJ reported that a Polish Catholic priest was arrested in the axe murder of a homeless man.