In the village of Zabolottia, Bukovina, OCU raiders seized the UOC’s St. Elijah Church with police support

On May 30, 2025, in the village of Zabolottia, Chernivtsi region, the St. Elijah Church of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church was forcefully seized. According to eyewitnesses, a group of OCU representatives — including the notorious and scandalous «chaplain» Roman Hryshchuk and other clerics with activists — broke into the church premises with the support of law enforcement and stormed the sacred site. This was reported by the Union of Orthodox Journalists (UOJ).

Believers stated that the attackers used physical force, pushing and beating parishioners before breaking down the doors and entering the church. During the raid, police officers lined up on the church porch, forming a human shield to cover those breaking the doors.

Footage from the event shows that one of the attackers — an OCU cleric from Storozhynets, Petro Andriychuk — kicked a female parishioner of the St. Elijah Church twice.

After the seizure, police surrounded the church and did not allow UOC parishioners to enter. The faithful remained nearby and continued their prayer vigil.

Reports from the scene indicate that sleeping pads and food packages were brought into the church, and while some OCU activists dispersed, others — including individuals in military uniform — remained near the church, apparently planning to spend the night there.

It was earlier reported that OCU cleric Roman Hryshchuk from Bukovina had posted harsh criticism of U.S. President Donald Trump on Facebook. In his post, he shared a text comparing Trump to Hitler and describing him as an “ignorant liar” and a “narcissistic self-lover.”