Soldiers not allowing UOC believers into church receive decorations

On August 14, believers were not allowed into the temple which they themselves had restored

This is said in the response of the Ministry of Defence to the deputy request of Igor Lutsenko, which the MP has posted on his Facebook page.

“Do you remember the video where Ukrainian soldiers do not allow Moscow priests to enter the territory of a military unit (academy) in Odessa? wrote Lutsenko. “At my request, the Ministry of Defense decorated them!”

The published document says that Major Bogdan Chereushenko and the soldier Vitaly Kostenko received awards “For commitment and fortitude shown during military service, exemplary performance of military duties and high professionalism”.

Recall, on August 14, 2018, UOC believers and priests of the Odessa eparchy were going to hold a festive divine service at the Holy Apostles Cyril and Methodius Church, which is located on the territory of the Odessa Military Academy. However, the military at the Academy's checkpoint, referring to the verbal order of their superiors, did not let them in. At the same time, representatives of the Kiev Patriarchate freely entered the territory of the Academy through the same checkpoint.

The temple of the UOC at the Odessa Military Academy is a former Cadet church. The restoration work began in the late 90s, when the Institute of Ground Forces was already located within these walls. Regular divine services were resumed only in 2005 by the labors of Protopriest Sergius Dmitriev, the rector of the church, a former officer who had experience of military actions in his background.

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