In Ukraine, the seizure of the UOC temple in the Dnipropetrovsk region was reported

In the Ukrainian village of Volnoye in the Dnipropetrovsk region, schismatics from the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) seized the church of the Holy Great Martyr and Healer Panteleimon of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC). This was announced on May 23 by the Union of Orthodox Journalists (UOJ).

"On May 22, 2025, OCU activists cut off the locks with a Bulgarian woman and seized the church of the UOC of the Holy Great Martyr and Healer Panteleimon," the UOJ Telegram channel clarifies.

It is reported that representatives of the OCU spread false statements that the church community itself decided to convert to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. The UOJ stressed that at a legitimate parish meeting, the faithful confirmed their allegiance to the UOC.

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How does the international community react and where are churches most often seized?

On May 17, in the Ukrainian city of Zastavna in the Chernivtsi region, schismatics from the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) seized the Church of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos of the canonical UOC. Supporters of the OCU used a grinder to cut the locks on the doors. The police did not interfere with the attackers' actions.