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Ukrainian priest dies in hospital after assassination in Kiev

On July 25, two unknown persons shot twice in the priest’s head at the entrance lobby of his apartment building in Kiev

© ITAR-TASS/Yevgeny Yepachintsev

KIEV, July 29. /TASS/. A priest of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate Roman Nikolayev who was a target for an assassination attempt on July 25 has died in hospital on Wednesday, the church’s press service reported.

"He died today at the age of 40, he was in coma and never regained consciousness after he was injured," the press service added.

In the evening on July 25, two unknown persons shot twice in the priest’s head at the entrance lobby of his apartment building in Kiev.

After the assassination attempt the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate called on the Ukrainian authorities to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation of the attack.

The investigative department of the Obolon district branch of the Interior Ministry in Kiev has opened criminal proceedings under Part 2 Article 115 of Ukraine’s Criminal Code (premeditated murder).

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