Representatives of the schismatic "Orthodox Church of Ukraine" have seized a church from the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the city of Bila Tserkva, Kiev region, TASS reports.
"The day before in the morning, schismatics entered the territory of the Panteleimon temple immediately after the end of the curfew, damaging the locks of the side doors," the Belotserkov diocese reported, adding that the seizure of the temple took place in the presence of law enforcement officers and with the support of the city authorities.
It is also noted that the authorities facilitated the illegal re-registration of the statutory documents for the temple.
On September 23, 2024, Law No. 8371, adopted by the Verkhovna Rada and signed by Vladimir Zelensky, aimed at abolishing the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church, entered into force in Ukraine. The authorities have organized the largest wave of persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, the largest community of believers in the country, in the country's recent history. Referring to its connection with Russia, local authorities in different regions of Ukraine have decided to ban the activities of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The SBU began to open criminal cases against the clergy of the canonical Church. Hundreds of churches of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church were forcibly seized by Ukrainian schismatics from the "OCU" with the support of the authorities.