OCU representatives seize UOC church in Rivne region

In the village of Mynkivtsi, Rivne region, the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which belongs to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), was seized by force. A group of OCU activists cut the locks on the church building, using, according to eyewitnesses, forged documents, and occupied the shrine.

According to the Telegram channel DOZOR, the invaders decided not to wait for a court decision on the issue of illegal re-registration of the church community. According to the source, the process was led by Valery Ostapchuk, who was appointed «director of the church» in falsified documents.

Police officers were present at the scene. The report emphasizes that law enforcement officers did not prevent the door from being broken down and did not allow parishioners and clergy of the UOC to enter the church. According to eyewitnesses, the police behaved «openly rude» towards the believers of the canonical church and did not act while the seizure was taking place.

Earlier, we reported that in the village of Nagoryany, Chernivtsi region, the deputy head of the local Territorial Recruitment Center (TRC) was filmed breaking down the doors of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church church. After that, he let a group of activists inside, which is regarded as a forceful seizure of a religious building.