Hungarian church set ablaze in Ukraine

(MENAFN) A Hungarian Greek Catholic church in Ukraine’s western Transcarpathia Region was set on fire by an arsonist who also vandalized the building with anti-Hungarian graffiti, police reported. The incident, which occurred in the village of Palad Komarivtsi on Wednesday evening, has further strained already fragile ties between Ukraine and Hungary.

The attacker broke into the church, ignited the entrance door, and painted the phrase “Knife to the Hungarians” on the facade in black paint. Authorities detained a 28-year-old local suspect two days later, stating the graffiti was intended to “destabilize the region and incite ethnic and religious hatred.”

Hungarian officials strongly condemned the attack. Prime Minister Viktor Orban described it as part of a broader campaign targeting the Hungarian minority in Transcarpathia, highlighting forced conscription, violence, and intimidation faced by the community. Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto accused the Ukrainian government of systematic oppression against ethnic Hungarians, criticizing the EU for ignoring these issues while advancing Ukraine’s EU membership bid.

Budapest has long accused Kiev of violating the rights of approximately 150,000 ethnic Hungarians in western Ukraine, particularly concerning language and education. This dispute remains a significant obstacle to Ukraine’s EU integration.

Meanwhile, Ukraine has intensified actions against Russian cultural influence and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which it accuses of maintaining connections to Moscow despite its recent independence. These efforts have included raids and arrests of clergy members.

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