September 3, 2023 unknown persons arranged a provocation in the Holy Dormition church of the village of Peschanoye in Poltava region. This is reported by the press service of the Kremenchug diocese of the UOC.

It is noted that before the beginning of the Divine Liturgy Holy Dormition Church and the adjacent territory near it was filled with men of athletic build. They behaved very aggressively, swearing foul language, insulting parishioners and the priest of the temple.

“They came with pre-prepared posters, on which there were inscriptions with false information and insults to the believers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. For videotaping and future manipulative videos were invited representatives of Channel 5”, – stated in the message.

Unknown men broke into the temple and, having stopped the Divine service, “began to hold a vote on the transition to another religious denomination. As it turned out later, these men are not residents of the village of Peschanoye or even Poltava region, but are residents of Vlasovka settlement of Kirovograd region and are most likely employees of TM “Korolivs’kyi Smak”, whose managers organized this provocation. After the young people left the temple, the Divine Service was continued”.

“The abbot and parishioners of the temple express their loyalty to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church headed by His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufry. The assembly imported from another region provocateurs do not recognize”, – noted in the press service of the Kremenchug diocese.