December 7, 2025

Athens News

News in English from Greece

Broken icons and overturned candles on the floor of an Orthodox church – "activists" captured the UOC temple


Another act of violence against Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC)which authorities accuse of having ties to Moscow Patriarchate. A video has appeared online in which armed people burst into the temple, parishioners are beaten and church relics are destroyed.

According to Ukrainian sources, the raid was organized by a group of agents associated with Ukrainian Security Service. They burst into the temple, armed firearms and metal barsand began to drive out the believers, accompanying the actions with shouts and threats.

The footage shows the attackers pushing and hitting parishionersthrowing icons onto the floor, breaking church utensils and crosses. Several people were injured, including elderly parishioners.

According to the publication, the temple belongs to UOCwhile the authorities support new “Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU)”under the control of the Kyiv government. The conflict between these structures has been ongoing since 2019 and is accompanied by seizures of temples, judicial and physical clashes.

The video caused a wide resonance on social networks: users called what was happening “open war against faith” and “an attempt to destroy the country’s spiritual heritage.”

This case is far from the first. Zelensky’s government is actively fighting the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, trying to impose the “pocket” OCU on the people.

Ukrainian authorities have not officially commented on the incident. According to local media, the investigation into the incident is being carried out formally, and there have been no arrests in the case yet.





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