Russian Priest Assaults a Ukrainian Priest with the Crucifix while at a Funeral

Russian priest attacks a Ukrainian priestTwitter/Serhiy Timkov

As Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine enters its fifth month, a shocking video of a priest attacking another priest has surfaced on social media. The footage was captured at a funeral of a fallen Ukrainian soldier called Oleksandr Zinivy.

However, the altercation happened when Ukrainian reverend Anatoliy Dudko criticized Vladimir Putin for invading Ukraine. The Russian priest, who was identified as Mykhailo Vasylyuk of the Moscow Patriarchate, lunged at the Ukrainian reverend, attacked him with a cross, and attempted to rip off the cross that Reverend Dudko was wearing.

It’s shocking to see a priest attacking a man of the cloth for rightfully condemning a tyrant who is waging an illegal war that has devastated Ukraine. No less, at the funeral of a Ukrainian soldier. The altercation disrespects the soldier’s memory, who paid the ultimate price for his country’s freedom. Yet, no doubt, the incident captures what Ukrainians must endure under Russian aggression.

Moment Russian priest attacks a Ukrainian priest

According to war experts, the Russian invasion isn’t going well for the Russians. As a result, the Ukrainian defense forces have adopted asymmetrical warfare tactics to halt the Russian invaders by targeting their logistics and supplies and taking out high-ranking Russian officers.

317 Russian officers have been killed since the start of the war, of whom a third of the fallen Russian officers are majors, Lieutenant colonels, and colonels. So far, Russia has confirmed that four of their generals were killed in Ukraine while Ukraine claims as many as twice to have perished in the war.

Serhiy Timkov, a local activist who shared the assault video of Reverend Dudko on Facebook, reported that the reverend suffered minor injuries as military personnel taking part in the funeral of their brother at arms intervened and stopped the Russian priest Vasylyuk. Timkov sharing his dismay over the incident wrote,

“In my opinion, [the incident] crosses all possible and impossible limits of arrogance. Based on the above, I further ask law enforcement authorities to ensure order at any gatherings where there is a conflict.”

Nevertheless, as Ukraine stands defiant, the defenders are incurring casualties ranging from 100 to 200 soldiers per day. On the other hand, as many as 75,000 Russian military personnel have been killed in the ongoing war.

It remains to be seen whether Vladimir Putin will cease his madness. Still, as Ukraine stands up to Putin, Ukrainian priests are getting assaulted in Ukraine while conducting the funeral services of fallen brave Ukrainian soldiers.