In Maliatyntsi, OCU members seize UOC church and lock themselves inside

The seizure of the St. Nicholas Church of the UOC in the village of Maliatyntsi by OCU followers. Photo: Screenshot from the Dozor video

On the night of March 21, 2026, a group of representatives from the OCU stormed the territory of the Nicholas Church of the UOC in the village of Maliatyntsi in Bukovyna. According to the Dozor Telegram channel, the intruders cut the locks and entered the shrine.

"According to information from the scene, the raiders brought in a team from other settlements. The notorious raider and cleric of the OCU, Herheliuk, is overseeing the process of seizing the Orthodox shrine. This thief previously worked as a state registrar in the Chernivtsi RMA," the message states.

OCU activists held a meeting regarding the "transition" of the UOC church on February 2. Believers were also present at the meeting. According to eyewitnesses, 114 parishioners voted for the UOC, and 74 activists voted for the "transition to the OCU."

As a result, the raiders falsified documents that deliberately did not account for the votes of the parish.

After the church was seized, representatives of the OCU locked themselves in the church and spent the entire night there.

Orthodox Christians began gathering near their church overnight. The police became a barrier in front of the shrine and did not allow UOC parishioners to enter.

As reported by the UOJ, in Bukovyna in 2025, 16 UOC parishes were "transferred" to the OCU.

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