Greek-Catholic Priests in Crimea - Attacked, Disappeared

RISU reports - The three Catholic priests missing in Crimea are safe. Fr. Mykola Kvych - who was arrested on Saturday and released, only to be attacked again - was blocked in his apartment by so called self-defence units, but managed to get out and temporarily left Crimea for security reasons.


The other two missing priests are safe but still on the peninsula. There are 5 Ukrainian Greek Catholic priests serving the Ukrainian Catholics in Crimea and posted there on military service.


The RISU follow up report from 17:48 follows:

Today, about 14.00, UGCC priest in Sevastopol Mykola Kvych disappeared again. He was kidnapped and released yesterday after several hours. The last thing he was able to say: "If I do not get in touch , then let people know my appartment on Khrustalova is attacked. It's the police and pro-Russian " self-defence". They are many, many. I have metal doors, but I do not know how long they can resist. " Now both cell-phones of Fr. Mykola are switched off, even though during yesterday's arrest and the search of the apartment, his phones were on.

"Today, about 12.00, I spoke with Fr. Mykola. He said that he was giving an interview with Finnish journalists. They could have been in his apartment during the attack, "- said Fr. Ihor Yatsiv, Head of the Information Department of the UGCC. A RISU correspondent talked to him at 1 p.m. and he said that his apartment was  being attacked and there were journalists with him.

Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church parishioners from Evpatoria reported that their priest Bogdan Kostecki has also disappeared. Yesterday he returned from Ternopil, where he was evacuating his family. On Saturday, at 22.00, he told his wife that he had reached the Crimea, but then disappeared. The phones for Fr. Bogdan are also switched off.

Another Crimean priest, Fr. Ihor Havryliv, has disappeared too. According to preliminary information, he was in a car together with Fr. Bogdan Kostecki.