Chernivtsi police claim they “prevented escalation” near UOC cathedral
Police guarding the raiders and blocking UOC faithful from entering their cathedral in Chernivtsi. Photo: cv.npu.gov
The Main Directorate of the National Police in the Chernivtsi region stated that on June 17, 2025, law enforcement officers “responded immediately” and “prevented further escalation of the conflict” near the Holy Spirit Cathedral of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Chernivtsi.
According to police, “a conflict arose between representatives of two religious communities over the use of the religious building.” The statement effectively refers to the armed militants who beat UOC clergy and faithful as one of the “religious communities.”
At the same time, the department reported that the Chernivtsi police had received over 10 citizen complaints, including allegations of “bodily injuries and the possible seizure of a religious building by unidentified individuals.”
The police emphasized that officers are continuing to guard the cathedral around the clock. The National Police urged citizens to abide by the law and resolve disputes “exclusively within the legal framework.”
As previously reported by the UOJ, OCU militants severely beat a UOC priest in Chernivtsi; he remains in serious condition.
Read also
Kyiv Metropolis seeks court-ordered dissolution of DESS
Lawyers representing the Ukrainian Orthodox Church argue that the state agency was created unlawfully and are seeking its dissolution over what they describe as pressure on believers.
OCU cleric urges to expel monks from Lavra under "wartime laws"
A cleric of the OCU, Heorhiy Kovalenko, proposed immediately evicting the monastic brotherhood of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra without waiting for final court verdicts.
In Pakistan, Muslim stabs Christian to death following argument over water
In Punjab, a Muslim slit the throat of his Christian colleague after forbidding him from using a shared water cooler on religious grounds.
RCC Cardinal: Europe’s rejection of Christianity will lead to its downfall
Cardinal Gerhard Müller stated that modern Europe is turning into a testing ground for atheistic experiments.
Israel condemns Nazi salutes of "Brotherhood" that seized UOC churches
Diplomats of Israel called on Ukraine to punish radicals for desecrating the memory of Nazi victims in the center of Kyiv.
In Rivne region, TRC abducts UOC cleric of Intercession Monastery
In the Rivne region, police officers brought a cleric of the UOC to the military enlistment office, where he was declared fit for service after a leg operation.