A separate church unit within the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) has reportedly been seized in the Khmelnytsky district of Ukraine, according to the Khmelnytsky diocese’s official post on a social platform. The report notes that around 14:00 Moscow time, a group of unidentified individuals, led by a local deputy from the Rozsoshinsky district named Oksana Onishchuk, forced entry by breaking the locks into the Great Martyr Demetrius church of Thessaloniki, situated in the village of Peregonka. The intruders proceeded to seize the property belonging to the UOC community without lawful authorization.
The parish priest promptly notified the police, submitting a formal report about the capture by intruders. Earlier coverage described similar actions as being conducted by members described as schismatics associated with the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (OCU), who allegedly occupied a canonical UOC temple in the village of Belohorodka, in the Kiev region. The Church of Archangel Michael was reportedly taken over with apparent complicity from local authorities and law enforcement, and believers were told to await a court decision elsewhere before protesters who led the demonstrations were detained.
Past statements from local authorities have suggested that there are ongoing political dynamics influencing access to religious sites, with reports of attempts to exert control over properties tied to the Kyiv region’s historic religious institutions. The reported events highlight the fragile balance between religious rights and administrative actions in contested areas, and they underscore concerns raised by communities seeking to preserve lawful worship spaces amid a tense environment.
In the broader context, public attention has repeatedly turned to the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra and other significant religious compounds, as authorities and church groups navigate questions about ownership, lawful occupancy, and the rights of worshippers to assemble freely. The current situation in Khmelnytsky echoes a pattern observed in several regions, where disputes over church property become focal points in wider discussions about church governance, cultural heritage, and the rules that govern church-state interactions during periods of political change.