Said "Christ is Risen" — was stabbed: two people attacked a man because of his religion

In Bila Tserkva in the Kyiv region, law enforcement on 22 April 2026 reported that two men aged 19 and 23 were notified of suspicion in a completed attempt of intentional murder committed by a group of persons motivated by religious intolerance. The incident occurred on the night of 13 April 2026 in one of the local establishments.

According to the investigation, the conflict began after a 35-year-old man greeted those present with the traditional phrase “Christ is Risen”. This provoked aggression in the younger of the suspects, who practices a different religion. A quarrel broke out between the men, after which the attacker decided to “settle it” by force.

According to the investigation, the young man called an older acquaintance, who is also of a different religion, and suggested they “settle it” together. He arrived at the scene with a knife and handed it over. They then pursued the victim, caught up with him, knocked him to the ground and held him down by force. After that, the 19-year-old attacker stabbed the man several times in the abdomen and neck. Convinced that they had allegedly completed the killing, the young men fled.

Despite serious injuries, the victim was saved — medics provided timely assistance, and he is now in hospital. The attackers were detained, and the court imposed a preventive measure on them — detention without the right to bail.

Criminal proceedings have been opened under Part 2 of Art. 15, subparagraphs 12 and 14 of Part 2 of Art. 115 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. If their guilt is proven, the suspects face life imprisonment.

The prosecution’s position on such crimes was voiced by the head of the Kyiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office, Dmytro Prokudin.

“Religion cannot be an excuse for violence. When a dispute over beliefs escalates into an attempted murder — that is already a serious crime that will have to be answered for under the law. The prosecution will respond firmly to such manifestations of aggression,” — said Dmytro.

The pre-trial investigation is ongoing; investigators are establishing all the circumstances and the role of each participant in the attack.