The Supreme Court has remanded the case regarding the "transfer" of the Holy Dormition Parish in Kremenchuk to the OCU for reconsideration

The Supreme Court of Ukraine has ruled to remand for a new hearing the case concerning the legality of the “transfer” of the Holy Dormition Religious Community in Kremenchuk from the Ukrainian Orthodox Church to the OCU. The legal dispute, initiated by the rector of the UOC parish, Archpriest Serhiy Bohaychik, continues despite previous rulings by the courts of first instance and appellate courts.

’s dispute arose from events on July 2024, when the “territorial community,” with the assistance of local authorities, held a meeting to decide on changing the denominational affiliation of the Holy Dormition Religious Community of the UOC to the OCU. The plaintiff sought to have the decision of the territorial assembly declared invalid, asserting that the vote was conducted in violation of procedure and without a quorum. The order of the Poltava Regional Military Administration to register the community’s new charter was also challenged.

The history of the legal proceedings consists of several stages: initially, in September 2025, the Kyiv Economic Court upheld the legality of the actions taken by the regional authorities and the territorial community. However, in April 2026, the Northern Economic Court of Appeals granted the UOC’s claim, finding that the membership of those who voted had not been proven and that the rector’s access to the church had been restricted. The Supreme Court, having reviewed the cassation appeal, overturned the appellate court’s ruling and remanded the case to the same court for reconsideration.

It is noteworthy that the Supreme Court’s verdict was not unanimous. Judge Vladimir Studenets issued a dissenting opinion, proposing to partially uphold the appellate court’s ruling regarding the recognition of the Poltava Regional State Administration’s actions as lawful. At this time, the final outcome regarding the religious status of the Holy Dormition Community remains undecided pending the conclusion of the new round of appellate proceedings.

As a reminder, earlier, the head of the Poltava Regional Military Administration, Vitaliy Dyakivnych, made a statement during a recent press conference regarding the status of the Holy Trinity Church of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Kremenchuk. The official emphasized that representatives of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church must “strictly comply with court decisions regarding the religious community’s transition to the OCU.”