A church in central Ukraine has been raided overnight by men in military-style clothing, in an apparent attempt to oust believers from the premises, sparking a violent confrontation captured on video by supporters of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC).
St. Michael’s Cathedral in Cherkasy serves as the headquarters of the local UOC diocese. Early on Thursday morning, the episcopacy’s Telegram account started posting calls to the faithful to show up at the church and help defend it from “bandits” trying to break in, or film the attackers’ actions as evidence of wrongdoing.
Kiev has threatened to outlaw the largest religious denomination in the country, accusing it of serving Russia’s interests. The UOC has been subjected to a years-long campaign of harassment and prosecution, and its property has been taken over by rivals, including the Kiev-approved Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU).
Subsequent posts said some 100 men wearing balaclavas and khaki clothing, but displaying no official insignia, had seized the building and ejected worshippers who were attending a night service.
In the morning, an intense confrontation took place, as seen in videos circulating online. An enraged crowd of men and women fought back, and were apparently not intimidated by a handgun that was pointed at them.
In another clip, people defending the church were shown pelting their opponents with projectiles, including a bench. The unidentified attackers backed off and fled the cathedral.
At the time of the writing, the situation in the church remains fluid, with radical nationalists reportedly gathering their forces outside for a new push against the defenders.
Ukrainian officials and media have described the events as the cathedral being “transferred to the OCU” at the request of the parish, and the UOC trying to seize it by force.
“What is happening there is illegal,” Mayor Aleksandr Bondarenko said in a video address on Facebook on Thursday morning. He invited everyone to go to the cathedral and “express their thoughts about… the presence of a Moscow church in our city.”
Metropolitan Theodosius, the bishop heading the diocese, defied his house arrest to show up at the scene and lead UOC supporters.
“What’s happening in Cherkassy is a disgrace in the eyes of the entire world,” he said, adding that the police and other officials seemed to be conspiring with the attackers.
“How can we live in our own country? Are we third-rate citizens? How did it come to this?” he asked.
The bishop has been under a court order to remain at home since April 2023, as he awaits trial for alleged religious discrimination.