Using a crucifix, a Russian priest attacks his Ukrainian colleague

Tensions between the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and the Russian Orthodox Church have increased since the start of the war in Ukraine, as can be seen in a funeral video broadcast on July 22.

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According to an extract relayed by the NEXTA media, we can see the Russian priest Mykhailo Vasylyuk physically attacking a Ukrainian priest, because of a comment on Vladimir Putin.

In the Vinnytsia region, a priest of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) attacked a priest of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC)

A supporter of Putin’s priest Gundyaev hit his “colleague” with a cross because the representative of the UOC accused the ROC of helping the occupiers. pic.twitter.com/FJwBdknysY

— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) July 28, 2022

According Newsweek, the Ukrainian priest is said to have said that Vladimir Putin had started the war in Ukraine to protect the faithful of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Vasylyuk, a member of the Moscow Patriarchate, immediately reacted by approaching his Ukrainian acolyte and dealing him a few blows with a crucifix on his upper body.

The soldiers of the Ukrainian army who supervised the ceremony intervened to put an end to the quarrel.

The Ukrainian priest victim of the anger of his colleague, Anatoliy Dudko, was slightly injured.

The incident took place in Vinnytsia, in the center of the country.

Local authorities have opened an investigation.