In Volyn, a volunteer called for religious purges against the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the region

A volunteer from Lutsk, Serhiy Tymchuk, called for a religious purge of the clergy and believers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the region. Tymchuk believes that if the Russian army came to Volyn, the Russian military would massacre “Ukrainian priests” (obviously, referring to representatives of the OCU – ed.) In addition, on August 24, 2024, Tymchuk, together with his accomplice, disrupted the service at the Peter and Paul Monastery of the UOC in the village of Svityaz, Volyn region, where they broke in during the Liturgy and began to harass the believers demanding to leave the UOC and join the OCU. This is reported by the regional website Volyn News Service.

“We are now in the heart of the ‘Russian world’ in Volyn. It is here, under the cassocks of the clergy, that agents of influence of the Russian FSB are hiding. If the enemy entered Volyn, no one would play with our priests like that. So why are we still coddling this enemy, this Russian patriarchate? Let’s have courage and together we will clear the Russian enemies from the Ukrainian land,” – the volunteer called.

In addition, the activists broke into the Peter and Paul Cathedral of the UOC monastery on Svityaz, staged a provocation and disrupted the service. They harassed believers who were praying at the Liturgy, demanding that they leave the UOC and join the OCU.

“Return to the bosom of the Ukrainian Church. Our military give their lives for you every day. Have a conscience. Please return to the Ukrainian church. If Russian troops came to Volyn, they would not have ceremonized with the priests of the OCU,” – the provocateur shouted in the church.

It is worth noting that earlier the parishioners of the Peter and Paul Monastery of the UOC in the village of Svityaz, Volyn region, managed to defend the central church of the monastery from being “transferred” to the OCU. At a territorial meeting in the local House of Culture on June 16, 2024, local residents, by a majority vote, confirmed their desire to leave the Peter and Paul Church of the monastery of the same name in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The OCU side did not collect the necessary two-thirds of the votes to implement its plan.