In Brovary, UOC community reports pressure from OCU and SBU to seize church

In the city of Brovary, a conflict is erupting over the St. Demetrius parish of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC). Representatives of the OCU, together with law enforcement agencies, have launched a campaign to intimidate believers and clergy in order to transfer ownership of the local church. This is reported by the Telegram channel Dozor.

According to the available data, the confrontation entered an active phase after an attempt to illegally re-register the church in April 2024. To protect the building from raider seizure, the religious community decided to establish a charitable foundation and transfer ownership of the church to it. These actions led to increased pressure from the SBU, whose officers began to use intimidation methods against the clergy and parishioners.

The rector of the church, Archpriest Oleksandr Stepaniuk, became a defendant in a criminal case on charges of misappropriation or embezzlement of property. According to media reports, security forces openly offer to stop the persecution in exchange for a voluntary transfer of rights to the building in favor of the OCU. Despite the open pressure and court proceedings, the community continues to defend its rights and refuses to give up the shrine.

Earlier, we reported that the Kyiv Regional Council adopted a decision aimed at liquidating the communities of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the region. This decision was made in the context of existing legislation that prohibits the activities of religious organizations affiliated with the Russian Orthodox Church. Thus, the Kyiv Regional Council undertakes to facilitate the so-called transitions of UOC communities to the OCU in every possible way.