Mokrets authorities seek to halt construction of UOC church on private land
After the seizure of the Dormition Church, believers began constructing a new prayer building; however, local authorities are now demanding that the legality of the construction be verified.
On August 20, 2026, at a session of the Turiisk Village Council, the construction of a new UOC church in the village of Mokrets was discussed. As reported by the local outlet "Buh," residents, activists, and a cleric of the OCU demanded that deputies intervene in the situation and halt the construction of the prayer building.
The matter concerns construction on a private plot of land belonging to a local priest. For the UOC community, this plot has become virtually the only opportunity to establish a new place of worship after believers were deprived of their Dormition Church in 2022. In the summer, Metropolitan Volodymyr of Volodymyr-Volynskyi and Kovel performed the rite of laying the foundation of the new church, blessed the capsule and the cornerstone of the future building.
At the session, the village elder of Mokrets, Oleksandr Shvets, alleged a violation of the designated land use purpose. According to him, the plot was purchased in 2024 for the construction of a residential house, and in 2025 he allegedly warned the priest about the corresponding land designation. The village elder also referred to appeals from military personnel and relatives of fallen servicemen who reportedly oppose the construction. At the same time, according to available information, there is no final court ruling on the illegality of the construction.
As the UOJ reported, the Volodymyr-Volynskyi Eparchy detailed a TRC attack on a hierarch's car.
