Another OCU cleric has defected to the UOC-KP

Oleksandr Halas, who was previously a representative of the OCU, has officially transferred to the UOC-KP. This decision was made following Halos’s public break with the OCU in April 2026, which was caused by his disagreement with the organization’s direction and management methods, as well as allegations of financial fraud. As the head of the UOC-KP reported on Facebook, the cleric’s transfer was the result of a long-standing conflict within the OCU that began in 2023.

Halas accused the OCU of misusing donations collected for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and of failing to provide financial reports on funds allocated for the construction of a church in the village of Lypky. His attempts to ensure transparency led to persecution: the clergyman was removed from the clergy roster and forcibly mobilized, which he regarded as an attempt to physically eliminate him. While serving in the 95th Airborne Assault Brigade, Halos sustained a serious injury and was hospitalized. He is currently continuing his treatment under the care of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church–Kyiv Patriarchate. “We pray for Fr. Oleksandr’s speedy recovery and return to his priestly life, ” said Nikodim, head of the Kyiv Patriarchate.

As a reminder, we previously reported that the parish of St. Seraphim of Sarov in the village of Zachepilivka, Poltava Oblast—which had previously been part of the OCU— officially joined the UOC-KP. This decision reportedly led to pressure, smear campaigns, threats, and attempts at “church raiding” by the OCU against the congregation and its rector. Nicodemus Kobzar, the temporary administrator of the Poltava Diocese of the UOC-KP, welcomed this transition, calling it “an act of courage,” and expressed his support for the parishioners.