Ukrainian lawmakers on Tuesday cleared the path for a ban on the Russia-linked minority Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), which Kyiv views as complicit in Moscow's aggression against Ukraine. The majority of Ukrainians are Orthodox Christians, but the faith is divided into one branch traditionally linked to the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) and an independent church, recognized by the global Orthodox hierarchy since 2019. Ukrainian leaders have accused the Moscow-linked UOC of aiding the Kremlin's 30-month-old offensive by disseminating pro-Russian propaganda and harboring spies.
A bill enacted into law in parliament on Tuesday prohibits the Russian Orthodox Church on Ukrainian soil, and a government commission will compile a list of 'affiliated' organizations whose activities are forbidden. This list is anticipated to specifically target the UOC. The decision to ban them will be made by a court. A total of 265 lawmakers voted in favor of the bill, with 29 against, according to parliamentarian Yaroslav Zhelezniak on Telegram.
'Today we have embarked on the inevitable path of cleansing from within the Kremlin's agent network, which has been hiding behind the mask of a religious organization for decades,' lawmaker Roman Lozynskyi stated on Facebook. There was no immediate response from the minority church, but it has previously stated that it severed ties with the ROC, a vocal supporter of Moscow's war, following the February 2022 invasion.
Ukrainian officials contest this claim and have initiated dozens of criminal proceedings, including treason charges, against numerous clerics. At least one has been exchanged to Russia as part of a prisoner swap. The legislation still requires a signature from President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who earlier this month described the move as 'aimed at strengthening Ukraine's spiritual independence.' He emphasized that the law should ensure 'there will be no manipulation of the Ukrainian Church from Moscow.'
