The police officers did not prevent the supporters of the OCU, who stormed the Church of the Intercession in the village of Strelsk, Rivne region, from beating parishioners and breaking the door of the church. The video from the scene was published by Pershiy Kozatskiy.

“On February 5, a group of Epifaniy activists, led by a local deputy, ran out onto the church porch and attacked Orthodox believers. They beat women, literally threw out the elderly, and the police seemed to be in deep apathy, ”said Lev Klimenko, a journalist for the channel.

According to him, only when “violence overflowed,” one of the police officers sprayed tear gas, hitting the parishioners of the temple.

During negotiations between the rector of the parish and the cleric of the OCU, the latter stated that he had documents for the temple signed by the head of the regional military administration, and insisted on the alternate use of the church by the two communities, but was refused.

As a result, an agreement was reached to seal the temple until the end of the dispute in court.