OCU activists seize a church in Kotsiubynske during a service

Photo: Screenshot from video t.me/dozor_kozak1

A group of OCU raiders in balaclavas broke into the St. George Church of the UOC in Kotsiubynske, Kyiv region, during a service. The video of the church takeover was published on the Dozor_kozak1 Telegram channel on March 13, 2024.

The perpetrators broke down the door of the church, subdued and expelled the rector, informing the clergyman that he was no longer the owner of the church.

One of the instigators of the takeover told the parishioners that, "whether they like it or not, and no matter how much they shout," an OCU cleric would now enter the church. The religious community demanded the return of their priest to the church, but in vain.

Journalists reported that a cleric of Epifaniy, who had stormed the St. Michael Church of the UOC in Bilohorodka in the summer of 2023, entered the seized church.

In this video, OCU raiders break down the doors of St. George Church of the UOC in Kotsiubynske. While the perpetrators use grinders and crowbars, the parishioners pray in their sanctuary.

As the UOJ reported, the parishioners of two churches in Kotsiubynske voted for loyalty to the UOC.

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