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# Dumenko Questions UOC Claims of Church Seizures in Ukraine
- URL: https://uoj.news/news/dumenko-questions-uoc-claims-of-church-seizures-in-ukraine/
- Published: 2026-10-16T17:24:12.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-16T17:34:32.000Z
- Description: OCU head Epiphany Dumenko denied that pressure was involved in parish transfers in Ukraine and accused the UOC of orchestrating resistance to make the process appear coercive.
- Author: Tobias Straney
- Tags: #Category: News, Epiphany Dumenko, OCU, UOC, Church seizures, Ukraine Schism

**KYIV —** Epiphany Dumenko, head of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), accused the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) of [provoking conflicts](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FcwzGV333I) during parish transfers, claiming that resistance to the handover of churches was orchestrated to make the process appear coercive.

In an interview with Radio Liberty, Dumenko alleged that the "Russian Church" deliberately creates the impression that parishes are being transferred by force. He maintained that the majority of a parish community decides whether to change its ecclesiastical jurisdiction.

[![](https://uoj.news/content/images/2026/10/1791827496-276.jpg)On this topicDumenko on Church Seizures: ‘The Process is Ongoing and Irreversible’](https://uoj.news/news/dumenko-on-church-seizures-the-process-is-ongoing-and-irreversible/)

When asked directly whether pressure was involved in the transfers, Dumenko denied that it was, stating, “There is no pressure.”

Dumenko also questioned the UOC faithful’s descriptions of church takeovers as seizures. “They claim that a seizure is taking place, but it is the community that makes the decision,” he said, arguing that it was [contradictory](https://spzh.eu/en/news/96479-dumenko-uoc-provokes-communities-into-seizing-their-own-churches?fbclid=IwdGRleAU%5FASZleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBwZG9mBWZkaWQWUQa4XHIQP6pwC7HEZ3VL109noCWuQXNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR4ZBH6PbTTzm56WBn28Fjc6FbCzlxKQwxbCqdi6yuCqzKV4aOiN6pwKQg0kLw%5Faem%5FPDGaTqT-X38VFHbN0wUnaQ) for a community to seize its own church.

The OCU leader’s remarks came amid continuing disputes over the transfer of Orthodox parishes in Ukraine. His statements framed opposition to the transfers as deliberate provocation rather than evidence of coercion, while dismissing the concerns raised by UOC believers.

Previously, the [UOJ reported](https://uoj.news/news/86217-local-oligarch-accused-of-orchestrating-seizure-of-uoc-church-in-kuzmyn/) that a local oligarch was accused of orchestrating a church seizure in the village of Kuzmyn.