Lawyers of UOC declare preparation of raider seizure of Ascension Church in Kyiv

Lawyers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church report an attempt to illegally seize the Church of the Ascension in Kyiv through the mechanism of “black registration” and falsification of documents. Human rights activists discovered a scheme to replace the leadership of the religious community. This was reported by the Information and Education Department of the UOC.

According to the lawyer of Archpriest Nikita Chekman, the process of seizure began in February 2026 with the submission of fictitious data to the Kyiv City State Administration about the change of leadership of the parish. Despite the initial refusal, on March 31, registrar Oleg Shepel illegally made changes to the register, replacing the current rector, Archpriest Pavel Kirillov, with Taras Pikus. The basis for these actions was a falsified minutes of the meeting of February 15, in which the real parishioners and the rector did not participate.

Representatives of the UOC emphasize that according to the charter of the religious organization, the decision to appoint or dismiss the rector is within the exclusive competence of the diocesan bishop. Thus, any attempts to change the leadership through parish meetings are a gross violation of the internal rules of the Church and the law.

In response to the illegal actions, on April 8, the community held an official meeting to confirm Pavel Kirillov’s authority and withdraw all the forged documents. Currently, lawyers are preparing lawsuits and calling on the Kyiv City Military Administration not to make decisions based on disputed documents until the court proceedings are completed.