The Volyn Oblast Council banned the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) from operating in the region, Suspilne news outlet reported on April 11.
The deputies also recommended the regional administration to terminate the lease agreements with local communities of the Moscow-affiliated church, Suspilne wrote, adding that the decision was approved unanimously.
The council supported the address to the UOC-MP's faithful with a call to sever any ties with the Russian Orthodox Church.
Earlier, the regional councils of Ukraine's western Khmelnytskyi and Rivne oblasts also prohibited activities of the Moscow Patriarchate church, while their regional capitals revoked land rights to the church's places of worship.
Kamianets-Podilskyi City Council banned the church from holding services on April 4, followed by Lviv Mayor Andrii Sadovyi claiming the UOC-MP had ceased its existence in his city.
These events took place after a military officer was assaulted at the UOC-MP's place of worship in Khmelnytskyi.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate is not to be confused with the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, which was granted autocephaly (ecclesiastical independence) by the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Constantinople in January 2019.
Recently, Kyiv ordered the religious leaders from the Moscow Patriarchate to leave the premises of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, the church's stronghold.
Ukraine has long accused the Moscow Patriarchate's representatives in Ukraine of serving as the Kremlin's propaganda arm on the religious front.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
(Updated: )
