In Dnipro, UOC Church Arsonist Released and Threatens to Finish the Job

On the night of May 22, 2025, an attempted arson took place at the Church of the “Quick to Hear” Icon of the Mother of God in Dnipro, which belongs to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Parishioners discovered signs of the attempted arson early in the morning before the festive Divine Liturgy. The incident was reported by parish priest Archpriest Heorhii Skubak on his Facebook page.

The priest said that upon arriving for the service, parishioners immediately noticed damage: information boards with the service schedule had been torn down and broken. On the church porch, they found a bottle that had contained motor oil, a charred wick, and oil stains. Outside the church fence, matches, a bottle cap, and more oil stains were discovered.

“You might call it vandalism? No, this was a 100% attempt at arson! Thank God, no one and nothing was harmed!” wrote Fr. Heorhii.

The parishioners promptly called the police, who arrived on the scene and began an investigation. According to the priest, thanks to the vigilance of the faithful and the efficient actions of local law enforcement, the arsonist was identified and apprehended that same day. However, the court later decided to release the suspect on a signed pledge not to leave town.

“As they explained to me later: ‘They spoke to him and explained that he shouldn’t do such things…’” the priest recounted. He added that the situation escalated when the same man later returned to the church and threatened to finish what he had started.

It is also worth noting that in the village of Velyki Sady in Rivne region, a 19-year-old local resident twice robbed the UOC’s Holy Protection Church, stealing church property and money from a donation box. The perpetrator acted at night, breaking into the church by forcing open a wooden door. Both thefts occurred just a few days apart.