Conflict over church in Moshny village: local authorities restrict access of OCU to building

In the village of Moshny, Cherkasy region, the authorities restricted access to the Transfiguration Church by changing the locks on it amid a conflict between religious communities. This action followed the seizure of the church by supporters of the OCU, who were unable to prove their ownership of this religious building.

According to the Dozor Telegram channel, the head of the Moshnyanska united territorial community, Bohdan Shkarbuta, arrived at the church accompanied by police to install new locks. Thus, access to the building for representatives of the OCU, who had occupied it earlier, was blocked.

According to the source, this decision was a reaction to previous events. It is alleged that on the day of the seizure of the church, the head of the community tried to check the documents of the people in the building, but was reportedly attacked and expelled from the church territory.

The publication also notes that most local residents support the parish of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), while there are few active supporters of the OCU in the village. The situation around the church remains tense.

As reported, on November 16, 2025, in the village of Moshny, Cherkasy region, the Transfiguration Church, which belonged to the local religious community of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, was seized by force. According to open source reports, the church was seized by supporters of the OCU with the support of an armed raider group. According to eyewitnesses, the attackers were armed with bats and tear gas, and the police did not intervene in the situation.