Khmelnytsky City Council complains about visit of UOC Primate to SBU and police

On May 21, 2025, deputies of the Khmelnytsky City Council filed a complaint with the Security Service of Ukraine and the National Police over the visit to the city of the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy of Kyiv and All Ukraine. According to the MPs, the UOC is engaged in sabotage activities in favor of Russia and “covers the Russian military.” This is reported by the regional edition YE.ua.

“We want to once again appeal to the Security Service of Ukraine and the National Police. We want to remind you that this structure is illegal and it works for Russia. It is no secret that many representatives of this church were involved in subversive activities, they covered Russian soldiers in their churches. We found illegal literature in the churches that were transferred to us in the city of Khmelnytskyi. This church incites enmity between denominations, promotes illegal agitation against Ukraine. And most importantly, these churchmen never stand on the side of Ukraine, never condemn the fact that the Russian church in Moscow blesses Russian weapons, blesses Russian soldiers who go to kill us. Unfortunately, this church is silent. Therefore, we again appeal to the relevant services to conduct a thorough and comprehensive verification of the facts that we have heard and will hear,” – the city council said in a statement.

As reported, on May 21, 2025, the city authorities of Khmelnytsky disrupted the visit of the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kyiv and All Ukraine, which was timed to coincide with the 35th anniversary of the revival of the Khmelnytsky Diocese of the UOC. According to the announcement, on May 21-22, the Primate of the UOC was to be in Khmelnytsky, where he was to consecrate the local St. Nicholas Cathedral. However, on the initiative of local authorities, special equipment and crowd consisting of radicals and supporters of the OCU were driven to the church. The protesters blocked access to the church, which resulted in the cancellation of Metropolitan Onufriy’s visit.