In Kyiv, OCU raiders attempt to remove property from UOC church

Raiders near St. John’s Church in Bykivnia. Photo: Dozor Telegram channel

On April 16, 2026, Thursday of Bright Week, a group of raiders carried out yet another attack on the grounds of St. John’s Church of the UOC in Kyiv’s Bykivnia neighborhood. According to the Dozor Telegram channel, the raiders drove a minibus up to the church and began loading property into it.

The church’s rector, Archimandrite Pavel, immediately called the police to the scene. When the attackers saw law enforcement officers arrive, they left the premises without finishing loading the belongings.

Among those involved in the looting, the faithful recognized OCU cleric Oleksandr Lyman, who, according to official registries, is an operative officer of the Security Service of Ukraine. Eyewitnesses said Lyman threatened to kill anyone who filmed his actions.

Believers said that this time the police responded professionally, unlike in previous cases when officers either ignored the robbery or openly incited hatred against Orthodox Christians.

Supporters of the OCU, who seized the shrine in February 2026, have reportedly been regularly removing the personal belongings of clergy and parishioners and taking them to an unknown location. Notably, the raiders did not hold Paschal services in the church, limiting themselves to the “blessing of baskets” and rewarding those involved in the seizure.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that an attempt was underway in Kyiv to seize the St. John’s Church of the UOC in the Bykivnia district.

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