OCU Supporters Begin Process of Seizing UOC Church in Vinnytsia Region

In the village of Trostyanchyk, Vinnytsia region, representatives of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) have attempted a raider-style takeover of the Church of the Apostle John the Theologian, which belongs to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC). According to local sources, OCU supporters have already begun falsifying documents in order to re-register the parish. This was reported by the Dozor channel on “Pervyi Kazatskyi.”

On June 14, the raiders held what they called a “community meeting,” during which they announced the “transfer” of the church. According to OCU cleric Mykhailo Torbakhevych, the event was held under the protection of police and Security Service of Ukraine personnel.

Local believers insist that the actual UOC community did not participate in the meeting and did not give consent to any change in religious affiliation. This is therefore seen as an illegal seizure attempt carried out with administrative support.

It is also worth noting that residents of one of the neighborhoods in Bila Tserkva (Kyiv region) are demanding that the St. Nicholas Church of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church be transferred to the OCU. Reports state that no services have been held in the church over the past 10 years because it is located on the grounds of a local preschool. OCU supporters claim that the church is effectively “abandoned” and should therefore belong to them.