Schismatics from the OCU launched a new attack on an Orthodox church in the Chernivtsi region

In the Chernivtsi region of Ukraine, near the village of Ust-Putyla, where there was a recent attempt to seize a Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) temple, a large police presence has been observed.

Photos posted online show several police buses and numerous cars — in total, more than a hundred law enforcement officers.

Local social media posts speculate that the security forces have arrived to make another attempt to seize the church.

Currently, believers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church have organized round-the-clock patrols around the Paraskeva Church. They were able to regain it after a previous seizure by representatives of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) with police involvement.

It is worth recalling that earlier it was reported that a key law has come into force in Ukraine allowing for the banning of UOC activities. The State Service for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience is now authorized to file lawsuits against religious organizations found to have ties to the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC).

The nine-month deadline for the UOC to sever ties with the Moscow Patriarchate has already expired. The new procedures provide for inspections, primarily targeting the Kyiv Metropolis.