The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) has said members of the Russian Orthodox Church have barred local parishioners from praying at a church in an occupied area of Ukraine.

In a statement, the UGCC said clergy from the Moscow Patriarchate had “unlawfully seized” the Church of Saints Peter and Paul in Tokmak in the Zaporizhzhia region. It happened on Orthodox Easter Sunday and the church’s head, His Beatitude Sviatoslav, said it had been a cynical move: “This is blasphemy against the Risen Lord—the Prince of Peace! And on the feast of Easter, no less.”

A statement from the Donetsk Exarchate of the UGCC noted that systematic persecution of the faithful is continuing in the occupied territories. It said that those who dare to resist or defend their right to freedom of religion are persecuted by the occupying authorities and sentenced to up to 15 years in prison—regardless of age or state of health. The statement added: “This once again confirms the systematic and deliberate nature of religious persecution in the occupied territories, where the right to freedom of conscience and religion is being grossly violated”.

But it highlighted the courage of Christians who continue to attend church despite the dangers: “One such courageous person is Ms Svitlana Loy. Despite threats and intimidation, she regularly attended the church, prayed, cleaned the grounds, and cared for church property."

The statement said examples of faithfulness and courage shown by people like Svitlana are a testament to an unbreakable spirit and a living faith that does not yield to pressure: “In these circumstances, it is especially important to preserve unity, support one another in prayer, and not lose hope. The Feast of Christ’s Resurrection, like our national history, testifies that truth and freedom, even if temporarily suppressed, ultimately prevail.”