Parishioners chanting at seized church in Ust-Putyla: We are against OCU

The police do not allow UOC parishioners in Ust-Putyla to enter the church. Photo: UOJ

On the day of the Apostle John the Theologian, May 21, 2025, militants of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) seized the St. Paraskeva Church of the UOC in the village of Ust-Putyla in Bukovyna. In a video received from the scene, believers demand that the police allow them into their native church.

Parishioners are chanting: «We are against the OCU!»

They claim that the shrine was seized by people who came from the Ivano-Frankivsk region, under the leadership of the chaplain of the OCU, Hryshchuk.

As reported by the UOJ, the invaders have closed themselves off inside the Orthodox shrine while the police guard them from the parishioners. Those believers who try to enter their shrine are roughly dragged out of the church territory by the police.

Read also

Why Phanar recognized UAOC ordinations involving self-proclaimed bishop – historian

The Phanar compared the participation of impostor Chekalin in the UAOC ordinations to zero in mathematics: whether you multiply by zero or divide by zero, the result is still one.

Turkish and Greek leaders to discuss religious agenda with Pat. Bartholomew

The President of Turkey and the Prime Minister of Greece will hold a meeting and official dinner with Patriarch Bartholomew in Ankara.

Kharkiv metropolitan offers condolences after tragedy in Bohodukhiv

Metropolitan Onufriy sent words of support to the mother of three young children who were killed, as well as to their father, in Kharkiv Region.

Police in frontline Yurkivka help evacuate icons from damaged UOC church

The rector of the UOC Church of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos appealed to the police due to the worsening security situation.

OCU сreates “сlone” of Krupytskyi Monastery after UOC expulsion

The OCU Synod has decided to establish the “Baturyn St. Nicholas–Krupytskyi Men’s Monastery.”

OCU thanks Novovolynsk mayor for transporting people to Dumenko's "service"

Supporters of the OCU sent gratitude to Mayor Borys Karpus for providing transportation to the Holy Dormition Cathedral in Volodymyr.