OCU raiders seize UOC temple in Chigirin under guise of TCC

on December 22, 2025, in the city of Chyhyryn, Cherkasy region, a forceful seizure of the Church of the Kazan Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) took place. According to sources, a group of raiders, some of whom introduced themselves as employees of the territorial acquisition center (TAC), illegally entered the territory of the shrine, changing the locks and installing the state flag.

According to the Dozor Telegram channel, the incident occurred in the middle of the day, when the clergy and parishioners were not present. About 50 unidentified persons in military uniforms broke into the territory of the church. After entering, the invaders claimed to be representatives of the “Cherkasy TCC,” cut the locks on the church doors and hung the state flag on the building.

Parishioners of the UOC who arrived at the scene were unable to enter their church. It is reported that the law enforcement officers called to the scene ignored the call. Soon after the seizure, the notorious “chaplain” of the OCU, Nazariy Zasansky, published a video of the invasion of the shrine.

The raider also expressed dissatisfaction with the fact that he failed to find liturgical items in the church. This is due to the fact that the UOC parish, anticipating a possible seizure, has been forced to take the shrines from the church after each service over the past year to preserve them.

We recall that on November 11, 2025, a forceful seizure of the church of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in honor of the icon “Chernobyl Savior” took place in the city of Cherkasy. It is reported that representatives of the OCU, with the support of police officers and the Security Service of Ukraine, occupied the building, forcing the community of UOC believers out of it.