Ukrainian church says brawl in Cherkasy church “deliberate provocation” to discredit Ukraine

Metropolitan Yevstratiy (Zorya) of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine said this on national television, Ukrinform reports.

"The head of the local unit of the Moscow Patriarchate is Metropolitan Feodosii (Snigiriev), who has long been under investigation as a suspect in a series of criminal episodes. His case is under judicial review, that is, he is a person who, even against the background of Moscow Patriarchate’s unit in Ukraine, is particularly prominent over his pro-Russian views. Therefore, what happened yesterday in Cherkasy was a deliberate provocation by specific individuals who tried to create content for Russian propaganda," Zorya said.

The OCU Metropolitan noted that Snigiriev was repeatedly summoned by Russian representatives to participate in UN meetings to voice statements about the alleged “oppression” of his church.

According to the OCU cleric, knowing in advance that the community would wish to exercise its right and use the temple, Metropolitan Feodosii thoroughly planned a provocation to discredit Ukraine.

Zorya emphasized that the process of transition of communities from the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) to the OCU will continue despite the efforts made by Russian propaganda.

As reported, the parish of Ukraine's largest Orthodox Church of St. Michael the Archangel (UPC MP) in Cherkasy has transitioned to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, while its chaplains have already declared it a garrison church. For their part, UOC (MP) believers staged a riot at the site.

The local police initiated a probe into “hooliganism”.