Enforcement Service fines Volodymyr-Volyn Diocese of UOC for refusing to leave Cathedral

On March 31, 2025, representatives of the state executive service recorded the fact that the Volodymyr-Volyn Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church was unwilling to leave the state-expropriated complex of premises of the Holy Dormition Cathedral in Volodymyr-Volynskyi, which also houses the diocesan administration and theological school. In this regard, a fine was imposed on the diocese and an announcement of future forced eviction was made. This was reported by the regional publication Bug.

“The law clearly regulates such situations. If the representatives of the Moscow Patriarchate delay the process, the next step may be the forced eviction of the structure that continues to hold the cathedral despite the legal decision. The situation around the church is indicative of the whole of Ukraine: the state is gradually returning to the shrines that for years remained under the control of a religious organization that maintained ties with Moscow. Is the clergy of the UOC-MP ready to obey the lawful decision, or will they continue to sabotage the process and be forcibly evicted?”, – the publication writes.