Attempt on life of UOC cleric made in Kiev

An assassination attempt on the life of the founder of the "Mercy without Borders" mission, a clergyman of the Kiev diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Archpriest Zakharia Kerstiuk was made at about 16:10 near the department store "Ukraine", as reported by the clergyman on his Facebook page.

"I was fired two shots.

I was moving from the department store towards the tram stop, when from the stopped white car on the opposite side of Zhylianska St. I heard male shouts that attracted my attention, I looked in their direction and saw a man holding a gun turned on me, and I immediately sat down, fell on the asphalt.

The man shouted something like "Catch, moron" and fired two shots.

At least 50 people witnessed that.

I took a glance at the leaving car and managed to remember the number: AP3813C. (I cannot exactly remember the last letter, but it seems to be "I").

It turns out that people who force me to refuse a trip to the ATO have moved from verbal threats to real actions.

Too many coincidences from the time when they "politely asked" me not to go to the Donbass anymore," he stressed.

He reported on moral pressure to stop his volunteer activities: the unidentified people have broken into his car twice, including at a guarded parking lot at the Borispol airport.

Fr. Zakharia regards the assassination attempt as intimidation, but nonetheless, he will not cancel the trip. "If you suddenly hear or you are told that I threw myself out of the window or something like that, do not believe it. Or if I suddenly get knocked over by a car, or I'm blown up on a mine in the ATO, or the separatists shoot / kill me, KNOW, it was those who have threatened me for the last month, and these people are in Kiev, and not on the other side of the front line. If you want to help, just pray," the clergyman wrote.

Fr. Zakharia Kerstiuk has been helped people for several years, collecting and transporting humanitarian aid to those who suffered from military operations in the East of Ukraine. Due to his enthusiasm and non-indifference, "Mercy without Borders" mission was founded, whose efforts are aimed at charitable deeds.