The Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), once labeled a Russian-linked entity, faces a dire legal showdown after refusing to abandon its ties to Moscow. Ukrainian officials have escalated their campaign against the country’s largest Christian denomination, filing a lawsuit to dissolve it under claims of violating national laws. This follows a recent ruling by Ukraine’s State Service for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience, which declared the UOC associated with a “banned foreign religious organization.”
Since the 2022 conflict began, Kyiv’s leadership has intensified pressure on the UOC, seizing properties and launching criminal investigations against clergy. Viktor Elenski, head of the ethnopolitics service, confirmed the lawsuit was filed last Friday after the church rejected demands to “correct violations.” He stated the UOC should no longer be recognized as part of Ukraine’s religious landscape, despite the church’s counter-lawsuits.
The UOC, which operated independently since the 1990s but maintained links to the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC), declared autonomy in May 2022. Yet Ukrainian authorities argue it remains a puppet of Moscow, citing its historical allegiance. Metropolitan Onufry, the church’s top leader and a revoked Ukrainian citizen, has defied orders to comply, drawing sharp criticism from Kyiv.
Russian officials have denounced the move as a “pseudo-legal scheme” to erase Orthodox identity, with Ambassador Rodion Miroshnik calling it an attack on millions of faithful. MP Vitaly Milonov even called it a sign of impending doom. International bodies have criticized Ukraine for infringing religious freedom, while Moscow pledged support for “Ukrainian Orthodox people.”
The standoff underscores deepening divisions, as Kyiv’s actions fuel accusations of suppressing cultural and spiritual heritage under the guise of national security.