Molotov cocktails hurled at church of Moscow patriarchate in Ukraine

Unknown persons have thrown Molotov cocktails at a church of the Moscow patriarchate in Pavlograd, in central Ukraine’s Dnepropetrovsk region, the press service of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church said on Nov. 7.

"The unknown persons set on fire the St. Cyril and Methodius church in Pavlograd of the Dnepropetrovsk eparchy. The attackers hurled three Molotov cocktails at the church premises - two at the church and another one at the altar," the statement said.

The fire destroyed a choir place with prayer books and also damaged the central part of the church, which sustained significant damage. The law enforcers have launched a criminal investigation into the incident.

The buildings of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, the self-governing church of the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine, have been subjected to arson attacks several times. In February, unknown persons set on fire a church in the Lvov region, in western Ukraine. The building’s central part was significantly damaged. Another arson attack in May damaged the Church of Transfiguration in Kiev.

Source: Pravoslavie.ru