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Updated June 5th, 2022 at 11:40 IST

Russia denies Ukraine's claims that its troops set fire to Svyatogorsk monastery

Russian Defence Ministry on Saturday claimed that the Ukrainian nationalists have set fire to a wooden monastery after they retreated from Svyatogorsk

Reported by: Anwesha Majumdar
Russia
Image: AP/ Twitter/ @UKRinOSCE | Image:self
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While Russian forces continue heavy shelling in Ukraine with its invasion crossing a 100-day mark, Russia's Defence Ministry on Saturday claimed that retreating Ukrainian nationalists have set fire to a wooden monastery in Svyatogorsk town, Donetsk Oblast. In a statement, the ministry said, “Ukrainian nationalists on June 4 set fire to a wooden monastery of the Svyatogorsk Dormition Laura as Ukraine’s 79th air assault brigade retreated from the town of Svyatogorsk of the Donetsk People’s Republic," TASS reported.  

Following the arson, the Ukrainian nationalists rushed away in the direction of the Ukrainian-controlled community of Sidorovo, according to the ministry. 

After the Russian ministry's statement, the Ukrainian government in a tweet  shared photographs of the intact as well as burned monastery. Taking to Twitter, the Permanent Mission of Ukraine to the International Organizations in Vienna said, “After Russia's bombardment, the wooden All Saints Monastery of Svyatogorsk Lavra is on fire.”  

Further, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church's website also stated that a massive fire broke out on the property of the 'All Saints Hermitage of the Holy Dormition Svyatogorsk Lavra' because of the fighting. It also added that the monastery's main shrine was consumed in flames. 

Russian soldiers killed four monks on May 30

In addition to this, the Ukrainian Mission added in the tweet that the monastery is part of the Moscow Patriarchate, which is led by Patriarch Kirill, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to a tweet from the Ukrainian government, Russian soldiers killed four monks on May 30. 

The Svyatogorsk monastery is located on a cliff overlooking the Siverskyi Donets river. Russian soldiers have attempted to cross the river many times in an attempt to surround the Ukrainian army. Sviatohirsk is located immediately north of Slovyansk, a Ukrainian-controlled city, Euro News reported. The monastery goes back centuries and was shuttered by the Communists in the 20th century, but was again opened in the year 1992 with the collapse of the Soviet Union. 

Russian shelling has damaged over 113 churches throughout Ukraine: Zelenskyy

Apart from this, the President of war-torn Ukraine, Zelenskyy said that Russian shelling has damaged over 113 churches throughout the nation, only days after revealing that 200 historic sites had been destroyed. On Saturday, he stated that among the dozens of destroyed churches were ones that had survived Nazis during WWII and those built after the Soviet Union's collapse. 

As per media reports, "Among them are the ancient ones," Zelenskyy continued, "those that withstood World War II, but did not withstand the Russian occupation." He went on to say that the churches are also those constructed after 1991."Reconstruction of the Skete of All Saints of the Svyatogorsk Lavra began in 2001. June 10 would be another anniversary of the beginning of construction," the president remarked. 

(Image: AP/ Twitter/ @UKRinOSCE)

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Published June 5th, 2022 at 11:40 IST

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