OCU raider stages nighttime provocation outside UOC church in Serbychany
UOC believers were able to defend their holy site thanks to round-the-clock watch at the church.
On May 20, 2026, in the village of Serbychany, Chernivtsi region, OCU activist Leonid Tymko attempted to enter the grounds of St. Michael’s Church at night. Although the incident occurred at around 11:30 p.m., the raider failed to catch the community off guard: UOC believers, fearing a forceful seizure, had organized round-the-clock watch at their holy site. This was reported by the First Cossack Telegram channel.
On his Facebook page, Tymko tried to justify his presence near the church as a “coincidence,” claiming that he was allegedly driving at night “on some business” to arrange the transfer of a vehicle for the military. However, parishioners viewed the visit by the “initiator of transfers” as direct preparation for an illegal assault. After finding dozens of church defenders there, the activist called a police unit and began provoking the faithful while filming them.
In his social media posts, Tymko did not hold back in his language, calling Orthodox men “bull-like draft dodgers” and a “gang.” He openly threatened local residents with reprisals, urged fellow villagers to “remember these mugs,” and promised that they would not have a peaceful life in the village. According to eyewitnesses, such actions are aimed at intimidating the community, which had earlier publicly affirmed its loyalty to the UOC.
The conflict in Serbychany escalated after, on May 17, 2026, the community of St. Michael’s Church officially reaffirmed its loyalty to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry by an overwhelming majority of votes – more than 400 people. Despite this expression of will, on May 19, the OCU “hierarch” Feognost issued a “decree” claiming to receive the parish into his structure.
As previously reported by the UOJ, the authorities in Sloviansk transferred the UOC cathedral to the OCU. The issue of changing church jurisdiction is accompanied by pressure on local communities and conflicts over church ownership. At the same time, the faithful’s decision to remain within the canonical Church is being ignored.
