UOC Believers in Bukovina Defend Their Church from OCU Raiding Attempt

In the village of Ust-Putyla in Bukovina, parishioners of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church managed to regain control of the St. Paraskeva Church, which had been under blockade throughout the day. According to local residents, the faithful were forced to defend their sanctuary from attempts of raiding by representatives of the OCU. Footage of the church defense was published by the Dozor channel on «First Cossack.»

According to information from the scene, in the morning a group of individuals representing the OCU broke the locks on the church doors and locked themselves inside. During the day, they remained in the building under police protection.

The standoff lasted about 13 hours. Parishioners of the St. Paraskeva Church spent the entire day praying near the church. Only late in the evening were the faithful able to enter their sanctuary, and the intruders were forced to leave the building.

Earlier, it was also reported that on May 18, 2025, Metropolitan Meletiy of Chernivtsi and Bukovina visited parishioners of the Vasylivka Church of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Chernivtsi to express support amid threats of losing their sacred site. The day before, believers learned of plans by OCU representatives to forcibly seize the church.