UOC Church Seized in Brovary: Police Block Parishioners from Entering the Sanctuary

On the morning of April 30, around 5:00 AM, another forcible takeover attempt of a Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) parish occurred — this time targeting the Saints Peter and Paul Church in the city of Brovary. According to “UOJ” and the “Dozor on Pershyi Kozatskyi” channel, a group associated with the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) broke into the building using power tools.

Eyewitnesses reported that the intruders cut the locks on the church doors with grinders. At the time of the incident, UOC parishioners were outside the church grounds. After the police arrived, believers were denied entry into their place of worship, causing significant outrage among the local Orthodox community.

Preliminary reports identify the raid’s leader as Oleksandr Lyman, a controversial figure already known among local parishioners for his involvement in similar church seizures in the Brovary district.

It is also reported that on April 28, 2025, a hearing took place at the Northern Commercial Court of Appeals in Kyiv regarding the Ministry of Culture’s unilateral termination of an agreement that granted the UOC access to the “Upper Lavra” complex. After extended deliberations, the court decided to postpone the hearing.