Conflict Breaks Out After OCU Forcibly Enters UOC Church in Kuzmin
Tensions flared in Kuzmin after OCU representatives forcibly entered a UOC church amid an ongoing jurisdictional dispute.
KUZMIN, UKRAINE — As reported by UOJ-Ukraine, a conflict erupted early on February 9, 2026, after representatives of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) cut the locks and entered the Church of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, a parish of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), in the village of Kuzmin. According to local reports, the locks were cut using a grinder in the early morning hours.
Later that morning, UOC parishioners arrived at the church and sought access to the building. OCU activists attempted to prevent them from entering, but parishioners were ultimately able to gain entry. Police and officers from the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) were present at the scene, though they had not intervened as of the latest reports. This conflict is still unfolding.
The incident follows a December 2025 meeting, which parish representatives described as illegitimate, that voted to transfer the community to the OCU. Subsequent appeals were made to U.S. lawmakers amid fears of a forced takeover.
Previously, the UOJ reported that the Ukrainian Ministry transferred the Lower Lavra buildings to the OCU.
