MOSCOW, August 15. /TASS/. Ukrainian law enforcement officials have begun an operation to seize buildings inside the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra monastery where monks and pilgrims live, the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) said.

"Buildings 54, 57 and 58 inside the Lavra are being stormed right now," the UOC said on Telegram. "Police have cordoned off the buildings. They have already cut locks from the doors and broken into Building 57. It’s not just pilgrims but also some of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra’s monks that live there," the church added.

In March 2023, the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra Museum-Preserve unilaterally broke a lease agreement with the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. On July 4, a special commission established by the Ukrainian Ministry of Culture arrived at the Lavra but UOC parishioners prevented it from starting to seal off the monastery buildings. On July 6, the commission, assisted by police officers, started to seize and seal off the buildings.

On August 9, the Kiev Commercial Court upheld the termination of the lease between the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra and the museum-preserve. The next day, the court found in favor of the museum in its lawsuit against the UOC, ruling that the church should not prevent the use of the monastery’s property, thus opening the way for the eviction of monks from the Lavra. UOC lawyer Nikita Chekman said that both rulings were illegal and would be appealed.