OCU stages provocation to seize UOC church in Zhytomyr region

The Trinity Church of the UOC in the village of Stara Chertoriia. Photo: open sources

On June 16, 2026, in the Zhytomyr-Ovruch Eparchy of the OCU, "bishop" Paisiy Kukharchuk handed representatives of an "initiative group" a decree and certificate confirming the acceptance of the UOC community of the village of Stara Chertoriia into his structure. The decision was the result of a planned provocation, during which activists exploited the religious feelings of the family of a fallen soldier to incite conflict, reports the Telegram channel "Dozor."

The pretext for escalating the situation was the funeral of the fallen serviceman Ivan Tarasov, which took place on May 26. A relative of the deceased, Kateryna Nakonechna, requested that the funeral service be performed by OCU clerics at the Trinity Church of the UOC.

The rector of the parish, Archpriest Tarasiy Havrylyv, informed the woman that he was personally prepared to perform the funeral service for the fallen soldier but emphasized: if the family insisted on prayers specifically from representatives of Dumenko's structure, then the service would have to take place on premises belonging to the OCU.

Immediately afterward, OCU supporters spread false information online claiming that the priest had allegedly "refused to open the church doors" to the defender. During the funeral itself, Kateryna Nakonechna openly began inciting people to seize the shrine.

On June 4, a group of activists held a meeting at the local community center. The organizers did not even attempt to conceal the fact that the participants in the vote were not members of the actual religious community of the Trinity Church. Following the meeting, the activists went door to door collecting signatures from village residents.

As the UOJ previously reported, an OCU raider staged a nighttime provocation outside a UOC church in Serbychany.

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