In Dovbysh, OCU raiders attempt to seize UOC church

The Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos Church of the UOC in the village of Dovbysh. Photo: suspilne

On August 6, 2025, around 4 a.m., a group of raiders from the OCU cut the locks and broke into the Vvedensky Church of the UOC in the village of Dovbysh in the Zhytomyr region. As reported by "Suspilne", 16 people, along with cleric Epiphanius, stayed in the sanctuary for about 10 hours.

According to the Telegram channel "Dozor", after the group of OCU raiders cut the locks and broke into the church territory, they cut the electrical cables, disconnecting the light and the Internet, "so that their crime could not be recorded".

Around 5 a.m., parishioners of the Orthodox church began gathering on the church grounds. Representatives of Dumenko's structure, seeing the UOC believers, locked themselves in the church and refused to come out.

"They claim they have valid documents, but we also have valid documents. Law enforcement agencies must sort this out, and possibly based on a court decision, if legally we are told that we do not have the right to conduct services here, then we will leave this church," UOC parishioner Svitlana Orlovska told "Suspilne".

The confrontation near the church lasted almost half a day.

According to believers, representatives of the TRC came to support the OCU raiders.

"TRC workers attacked Orthodox Christians. Militants beat women. An elderly parishioner sustained a rib injury. Thanks to the TRC, the UOC parish was pushed out from the church territory," Orthodox journalists shared the details.

Around 5 p.m., the police removed the OCU raiders from the sanctuary's territory.

The church remains closed now.

As reported, in Serbo-Slobidka, OCU and local authorities seized a UOC temple.

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