Radicals attack UOC believers and seize their churches – UN Report

UN. Photo: ctrcenter.org

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) documented new attacks on parishioners and supporters of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) from December 2024 to May 2025. This is stated in the UN Report on the human rights situation in Ukraine, published on June 30, 2025.

In particular, the document describes an incident in the village of Verkhni Stanivtsi in April of this year, where " a group of unidentified individuals attempted to seize a church building of the UOC and attacked parishioners
in the process, using wooden sticks, pepper spray and rods". 

"The UOC reported injuries among its adherents. Three days later, a similar attack resulted in the UOC parishioners having to leave the church; they have not
been able to return as of the end of the reporting period. According to witnesses, police present during the second incident did not appear to take action to prevent and respond to violent actions," the report states.

As reported by the UOJ, the UOC community in Verkhni Stanivtsi appealed to the UN for protection.

Earlier, the UOJ provided a detailed analysis of the attack on the St. Nicholas Church in Verkhni Stanivtsi in the article "Blasphemy at the altar and beaten parishioners – the true face of the OCU?"

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