UOC Church in Kuzmin Forcibly Seized Amid Illegal Re-Registration
Unidentified individuals and state registrars forcibly seized and illegally re-registered a UOC church in Kuzmin, prompting legal action and a criminal complaint.
KUZMIN, UKRAINE — On February 9, 2026, the Holy Nativity-Theotokos Church of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Kuzmin village was forcibly seized by unidentified individuals, who broke the locks and illegally entered the church premises, effectively preventing the local UOC community from using their place of worship.
No court decision authorized the seizure, change of leadership, or eviction of the religious community. Despite legal requirements to refrain from registering actions until a court ruling, the Khmelnytskyi Regional State Administration illegally re-registered the parish, altering its name, leadership, and denominational affiliation.
In response, the abbot, Fr. Heorhiy Sikalyuk, filed a request with the Commercial Court of Kyiv to prohibit any registration changes affecting the community. Within hours, however, state registrars updated the Unified State Register, disregarding court procedures and creating ideal conditions for further seizure of the church. A criminal complaint under Article 356 of Ukraine’s Criminal Code (self-government) has been filed.
Previously, the UOJ reported that the UOC said that the Kazan Church in Chyhyryn was forcibly seized by a OCU-linked group.
