OCU supporters seize ancient St. Michael's Church of UOC in Chernihiv region

In the village of Bezuhlivka, Chernihiv region, representatives of the OCU carried out a forceful seizure of St. Michael’s Church, which belongs to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC). The incident occurred on April 16, 2026, on Holy Thursday, after a long process of illegal re-registration of the religious community.

According to the Dozor Telegram channel, supporters of Dumenko’s structure cut the locks and broke into the House of God, declaring it their property. According to the available information, preparations for the seizure began in September 2025 through the falsification of documents by persons unrelated to the local parish, which led to the illegal re-registration of the church on January 28, 2026.

For several months, a hate campaign was waged against the rector of the church, Father Yaroslav Sobolevsky. In particular, false information was disseminated that the priest allegedly refused to perform funeral rites for fallen soldiers. Dozor notes that the parishioners managed to save the most valuable icons and church utensils in advance, which caused extreme dissatisfaction on the part of the seizure participants.

The publication also mentions that the OCU cleric Ivan Honchar took part in the incident. Sources report his special interest in ancient icons, which the believers managed to save from possible theft.

Earlier, we reported that a conflict over St. Dmitry’s parish of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) is erupting in the city of Brovary. 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.