OIDAC Europe included the attack on Sviatogorsk Lavra in its report on crimes against Christians

In its latest report on hate crimes against Christians in Europe, the international human rights organization OIDAC Europe mentioned an incident involving an attack on the Holy Dormition Svyatogorsk Lavra in the Donetsk region of Ukraine. The document details acts of vandalism, desecration and theft that occurred at the Lavra’s hermitage, which were later investigated by the police and the stolen property recovered. OIDAC Europe has also expressed concerns about restrictions on the religious freedom of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in previous reports.

The Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians in Europe (OIDAC Europe), headquartered in Vienna, Austria, which has been systematically monitoring violations of Christian religious freedom since 2010, published its report in January 2026. In it, as the organization OIDAC Europe itself reports, it records a case of an attack on the Svyatogorsk Lavra, which occurred during the feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. According to the document, «in Ukraine, a group of individuals attacked the Holy Dormition Lavra during the feast of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary, resulting in acts of vandalism, desecration and theft.»

As previously reported, on the night of January 24 to 25, 2026 unknown attackers committed robbery of the hermitage of the Svyatogorsk Lavra in honor of the icon of the Mother of God «Joy of All Who Sorrow», located in the village of Bogorodichnoye. The criminals broke into the gates and doors of the church, stealing eight bells, as well as valuable church utensils, including gospels, candlesticks, lamps and other relics. Subsequently, thanks to the prompt actions of police officers, the stolen property was found in a cache near the church and returned to the monastery after all necessary procedural actions were completed.

OIDAC Europe has previously drawn attention to the situation around the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The organization’s annual report for 2025 included a separate section dedicated to restrictions on the UOC’s religious freedom. This document also criticized international human rights structures for their lack of attention to the pressure on the Church in Ukraine. It was noted that the legislative initiatives and actions of the authorities aimed at religious organizations cause serious concern among international human rights structures and experts in the field of religious freedom.

We shall remind you that earlier we reported that the hierarch of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church Metropolitan of Sviatogorsk Arseniy was released from the pre-trial detention center under house arrest. This decision was made during a court hearing, which took place today in the Chechelovskyy district court in Dnipro.