Court lets OCU activist off for church provocation

Crowd blocking the service at the St. Nicholas Cathedral of the UOC in Khmelnytsky. Photo: Telegram channel “Popik”

An OCU activist who took part in provocations outside a UOC cathedral in Khmelnytsky on May 21, 2025, on the eve of His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry’s visit, was found guilty of petty hooliganism but was given only a verbal warning. This was reported by Glavсom, citing the registry of court decisions.

Farmer Mykhailo Blonsky poured pig’s blood on the gates of the UOC’s St. Michael’s Church. The court characterized this act of sacrilege as “petty hooliganism” and issued Blonsky a verbal reprimand.

In court, the farmer admitted his guilt and explained his actions by citing his involvement “since 2014, together with other active citizens, in the establishment and strengthening of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine in Khmelnytsky Region.”

He confessed that after the OCU received its Tomos, it has been conducting efforts to “transfer” parishes from the UOC to the OCU, including the seizure of Orthodox churches.

According to him, he poured the red mixture on the sidewalk and church fence to “demonstratively call” city residents who attend UOC churches to “wake up.”

“The court, while finding the farmer guilty of petty hooliganism, nonetheless took into account his sincere remorse and the political–military situation in Ukraine, and imposed the mildest penalty – a verbal warning,” Glavсom commented.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that in Khmelnytsky, a service with Metropolitan Onuphry marking the 35th anniversary of the Khmelnytsky Eparchy was canceled.

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