In Brody, OCU seizes a private UOC church with help from UNA–UNSO

The Vladimir Church of the UOC in Brody, seized by members of UNA–UNSO. Photo: Leopolis

On October 4, 2025, in the city of Brody, Lviv region, “clergy” of the OCU held their first “service” in the Vladimir Church of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), which local authorities had closed back in 2023, reports the local outlet Leopolis.

The publication writes that “this event marked the de facto end of a long-standing confrontation and the legal formalization of the transfer of the religious community to the OCU,” adding that the church is now renamed in honor of the Holy Myrrh-Bearing Women.

According to the outlet, the rector of the UOC community, Fr. Yaroslav Oheruk, did not hand over the church keys to the OCU, and so “the guys from the UNA–UNSO people’s self-defense” helped open the doors. Members of the organization also provided “security” for the building.

“From the very entrance to the church and during the service itself, law and order were formally ensured by representatives of the local police department, who stood at some distance on the sidewalks of nearby streets. But the real protection around the church was provided by the men from the UNA–UNSO society,” the report states.

Recall that on April 24, 2023, the authorities of Brody, Lviv region, announced the closure of the Vladimir Church of the UOC, the only one in the city. Later, the city administration, together with the OCU, organized a fake “meeting” to declare the community’s “transfer” to the structure headed by Dumenko, while parishioners of the UOC were not allowed to attend.

Meanwhile, the land on which the Vladimir Church stands is private property belonging to the UOC community. In July 2003, parishioners purchased a 0.0589-hectare plot of land and, at their own expense, began building the church. Construction was completed in 2008, and since then the UOC community had been praying in its own sanctuary.

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