Supporters of the Bessarabian Metropolis attempted to seize a church belonging to the Orthodox Church of Moldova.

On June 29, 2025, supporters of the Bessarabian Metropolis (Romanian Patriarchate) attempted to seize the temple of the Orthodox Church of Moldova in the village of Grinauti, Riscani district. According to eyewitnesses, the clergy of the Romanian Patriarchate were actively assisted by the Moldovan police and local authorities. This was reported by Sputnik Moldova on its Telegram channel.

“According to reports on social media, representatives of the Bessarabian Metropolis of the Romanian Orthodox Church have been attempting to seize the church of the Moldovan Orthodox Church in the village of Grineauci, Riscani district, for several hours,” — the agency said.

The parishioners of the church, together with the rector, resisted and defended the shrine from seizure. However, this did not stop the supporters of the “Bessarabian Metropolis” and the confrontation continues.

It is worth noting that on June 17, 2025, the head of the OCU, Epiphany Dumenko, received the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Moldova to Ukraine, Valeriu Civer, at his residence. Together with members of the Moldovan diplomatic mission, Dumenko discussed “challenges related to the activities of the Moscow Patriarchate” in both countries.