OCU supporters seize another UOC church in Zhytomyr region

On February 28, 2025, supporters of the OCU seized the church of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in honor of the Holy Martyr Paraskeva of Serbia in the village of Serbo-Slobidka, Zhytomyr region (Ovruch Diocese of the UOC). The events unfolded according to a standard raider scheme, in which supporters of the OCU falsified documents to take possession of the religious building. This is reported by the Telegram channel DOZOR on First Cossack.

It is reported that in January 2025, a group of activists who are not related to the religious community voted to transfer the church to the OCU. The vote took place despite the fact that the current religious community unanimously declared that it remained in the bosom of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The raiders falsified documents, re-registered the community, and came to take the church on February 26.

“The activists were led by the head of the community, Arkady Ratushnyak, the village elder, Mykola Zakharchenko, the principal of Yablunivka gymnasium, Natalia Yezhevska, and the principal of Serbo-Sloboda gymnasium, Tetiana Lytvynchuk. In fact, the raiders were led by local authorities,” — the media reported.

On February 27, in the presence of the police, supporters of the OCU damaged the locks on the doors of the church, after which the building was sealed. The next day, February 28, the raiders completely dismantled the locks and seized the church in violation of the agreement.

Earlier, we reported that the acting head of the Khmelnytsky District State Administration, Viktor Palamarchuk, who led the seizure of the Holy Protection Church of the UOC in the village of Sutkivtsi, was detained by the State Bureau of Investigation for organizing a corruption scheme. According to law enforcement officials, Palamarchuk was suspected of helping men evade mobilization in exchange for money.