OCU supporters break locks and seize UOC church in Shchaslyve village near Kyiv

on February 20, 2026, an incident took place in the village of Shchaslyve near Kyiv with the seizure of the St. Nicholas Church of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church: supporters of the OCU broke the locks and installed their own. The legal community of the UOC, despite previous attempts to transfer the church, continues to defend its rights.

According to the Information and Education Department of the UOC, citing believers of the legal religious community of St. Nicholas Church, on February 20, 2026, supporters of the OCU broke and replaced the locks on the doors of the shrine located in the village of Shchaslyve, Boryspil Diocese.

According to Orthodox believers from the village of Shchaslyve, back in August last year, OCU activists held a so-called «meeting» at which they announced the alleged transfer of the religious community of the church to their denomination. However, the real members of the community, having held their own legal meeting, unanimously confirmed their desire to remain faithful to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

When the actual seizure of the church became known on February 21, the rector and parishioners arrived at the shrine. A significant number of police, people in military uniforms, young people, and residents of other settlements were reportedly present at the scene. Some activists threatened to kill believers who tried to record what was happening on video.

Earlier, the head of the Donetsk Diocese of the OCU, Serhiy Gorobtsov, announced the taking of control of the Church of the Martyr John the Warrior of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) in the Bykivnia district of Kyiv. According to the statement of the OCU hierarch Sergei Gorobtsov, made on February 14, 2026, the event took place after the «re-registration of the community.» However, representatives of the UOC claim that the actions were committed by people who are not related to the parish and challenge the legitimacy of both the seizure itself and the re-registration that preceded it.