In Bukovynian village of Zabolottia, OCU reps seize St Elijah Church of UOC

The police are guarding the OCU raiders who broke into St. Elijah's Church of the UOC in Zabolottia. Photo: UOJ

On May 30, 2025, clerics and activists of the OCU, supported by the police, broke into the territory of the St. Elias Church of the UOC in the village of Zabolottia in Bukovyna and stormed the temple. This was reported to the UOJ by the faithful.

Pushing and beating the parishioners, the raiders broke the door and burst into the shrine. At this time, police representatives stood as a wall on the porch, covering the militants breaking the doors.

After the seizure, law enforcers lined up around the church and did not allow Orthodox Christians in.

The parishioners of the church gathered near their church praying.

The chaplain of the OCU, Roman Hryshchuk, came to the seized Orthodox sanctuary. The faithful chased him away, asking: «Why did you come?».

Reports from the scene indicate that mats and bags of food were brought into the church. Some representatives of the OCU dispersed, while some of the raiders, including people in military uniforms, are planning to spend the night in the Orthodox shrine.

The faithful conducted a live broadcast from the scene.

As the UOJ wrote, in Ust-Putyla, they showed how the police used force against the UOC parishioners.

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