Authorities have apprehended a man who stole valuable icons, gifted to the church by patrons in the last century. The offender faces significant penalties.

It has been established that the thief visited the church twice in July, during the day, and while the clergy were distracted, he removed the icons from the wall, placed them in a bag, and quietly exited.

Upon noticing the absence of the icons, the priest sought help from the police department. Officers quickly identified the suspect and located the stolen property. The man managed to sell one icon, but police tracked down the buyer and recovered it. He kept another icon at home, which was also seized by the authorities.

Preliminary information indicates that these sacred items were donated to the church by local patrons in 1905, and their auction value starts at $5,000. Experts will conduct an examination to determine the icons' value and historical significance.

The actions of the offender are classified under part 4 of article 185 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The maximum penalty for theft committed during martial law is up to eight years in prison. The question of charging the suspect and imposing preventive measures is currently under consideration. The investigation is ongoing under the supervision of the Malinovsky District Prosecutor's Office in Odessa.