Russian officials in the occupied Crimean city of Yevpatoria have begun dismantling a Ukrainian Orthodox Church (OCU) church, the Voice of Ukraine media outlet reported on July 22.

Under the Russian occupation, religious groups that did not adhere to Russian Orthodoxy were repressed. This included the destruction of religious sites and the persecution of religious leaders.

The church in Yevpatoria has faced legal challenges from occupying authorities for years and was finally ordered to be demolished in early July. The Voice of Crimea said the church’s demolition officially began on July 21 and shared photos of the dome and other parts of the building being removed.

Former Deputy Prosecutor General Gyunduz Mamedov, referring to Metropolitan Klyment of the OCU diocese in Crimea, said it was the last remaining OCU church on the occupied peninsula.

The OCU has “de facto ceased to exist” in Crimea, Viktor Yelensky, a religious studies scholar and head of the State Agency of Ukraine for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience (DESS), said earlier in 2024.

The Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) has taken over many churches that belonged to the OCU or the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) in parts of occupied Ukraine.

Russia’s persecution of religious groups in Crimea and other occupied territories has also extended to Muslims, Catholics, Mormons, Evangelicals and others.

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