In Shevchenkove, OCU representatives seize UOC church with police support

The church in Shevchenkove. Photo: OCU

On the morning of January 21, a group of representatives of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) arrived at the Archangel Michael Church of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) in the village of Shevchenkove, Kyiv region. The group was accompanied by police officers.

Supporters of the Dumenko-led structure cut the locks on the church doors. A video filmed by the UOC community captured conversations with the OCU activists, revealing that the individuals in camouflage came with the intent of "eradicating the Russian world." One man, who was drilling out the lock, claimed that he “believed in God” because he wasn’t harming the church but was “preserving” the door while breaking the lock. Members of the OCU asked the church community to refrain from filming and to leave the premises. The police refused to comment and merely observed the takeover.

The church was transferred to the OCU after a decision made at a meeting on May 19, 2024, which was attended by individuals not affiliated with the parish.

Earlier, OCU representatives attempted to claim the Archangel Michael Church through the courts but were unsuccessful. However, its re-registration facilitated the process of transferring ownership. According to Pershyi Kozatskyi, former UOC Metropolitan Alexander Drabynko, who joined the OCU, ordered that the keys and property be urgently taken from the parishioners.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that in Komarivtsi, the OCU was preparing to seize a church following a provocation at the funeral of a soldier.

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