The SBU said it had established that Metropolitan Onufrii, also known by his secular name, Orest Berezovskyi, voluntarily received Russian citizenship in 2002 and failed to inform Ukrainian authorities of the fact.
According to public broadcaster Suspilne, a crowd gathered to assert control over the church, which had recently voted to switch allegiance from the UOC-MP to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) — an autocephalous (autonomous) Ukrainian church not affiliated with Moscow.
Russia wants the Vatican to "take a more active role" in advocating for what it described as freedom of religion in Ukraine, the Kremlin said in a statement on June 4 following recent diplomatic contacts.
In 1953, Polish-American lawyer Raphael Lemkin, the man who coined the term "genocide," wrote a text titled Soviet Genocide in Ukraine. In it, Lemkin spoke not only about the Holodomor — the man-made famine organized in Ukraine by Stalin in 1932–1933 that claimed the lives of around 4 million people
Editor's Note: The story was updated to reflect that the conclave had begun on May 7. On Wednesday, Cardinals opened the historic conclave in the Vatican to choose the next head of the Catholic Church. Pope Francis, who died on April 21 at the age of 88, was lauded by
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has formally charged 14 high-ranking metropolitans and archbishops of the Russian Orthodox Church for their involvement in the illegal seizure of Ukrainian churches in Russian-occupied territories, the agency announced on April 22.
The legislation aims to prevent foreign influence in Estonia’s religious sphere if it threatens national security, constitutional order, or public order, or if it promotes military aggression or incites war, according to the parliament’s press service.
Ukraine's Foreign Ministry on April 10 again denounced the religious persecution carried out by Russia in the occupied Ukrainian territories, accusing Moscow of killing dozens of clergy members and damaging hundreds of churches.
Ukrainian law enforcement officers charged former lawmaker and businessman Vadym Novynskyi with high treason and incitement to religious hatred in absentia, the State Bureau of Investigation said.
Moscow Patriarch Kirill accused the West of "hating" Russia because it represents "an alternative path of civilizational development." He made the comments during the celebration of the Christmas Mass on Jan. 7.
For a decade, the world has seen how Russia has scarred Ukraine’s landscape with tens of thousands of bombs and missiles. The spiritual wounds — and awakenings — experienced by millions of Ukrainians are less visible. Almost a third of Ukrainians say their religious faith has grown since the war broke
The State Bureau of Investigation previously confirmed on Aug. 26 that Dmytruk illegally crossed the border in Odesa Oblast and entered Moldova.
The State Bureau of Investigation (DBR) said that controversial lawmaker Artem Dmytruk illegally crossed the border in Odesa Oblast and entered Moldova.
Pope Francis criticized on Aug. 25 Ukraine's move to potentially ban the activities of Russian-affiliated religious organizations amid Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine, saying that "churches are not to be touched."
The Kyiv Independent’s Anna Belokur explains the top stories of the week, from updates on the Kursk incursion to Washington's potential shift in long-range missiles policy. And who is that bust of in the background of our videos?
The legislation could effectively prohibit the activities of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP), which is legally subordinate to the Russian Orthodox Church.
Editor's note: The article was expanded with comments by religious scholar Oleksandr Brodetskyi. Ukraine's parliament passed on Aug. 20 a much-debated bill banning activities of religious organizations with ties to Russia, a country whose armies are currently occupying large swathes of Ukraine's land. The legislation – falsely spun by pro-Kremlin actors
A counterterrorism regime was instituted after militants allegedly fired on an Orthodox church and a police post in Russia's Dagestan Republic, according to local authorities.
Patriarch Kirill, the head of the church, is a staunch backer of Russian President Vladimir Putin and has been accused of using his subordinates in Ukraine and other countries to spread Russian propaganda.
The document posted on the website of the Moscow City Diocese did not give an official reason for Dmitriy Safranov's suspension, but it is believed to be connected to Alexei Navalny's funeral.
Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC), presented a "revolutionary" order on March 27: “The Present and Future of the Russian World.” The order claims: “From a spiritual and moral point of view, a special military operation (Russia’s term for its war against Ukraine)
Russia's war and occupation of large swaths of Ukraine have led to hundreds of churches being damaged or destroyed, dozens of priests killed or kidnapped, and entire religious groups that don't conform to Moscow's brand of Orthodoxy being banned. With entire Ukrainian cities being leveled by Russian artillery fire, religious
The bill would prohibit the activities of any religious organizations affiliated with war propaganda or justifying the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Parliament passed the bill in the first reading in October 2023, and the secondary reading is to be held.
A former abbot of the Dormition Cathedral in Kherson was charged with treason for supporting Russian occupation and cooperating with occupation authorities, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said on Feb. 19.
Estonian authorities have accused Metropolitan Yevgeniy of public statements and actions in support of Russian aggression.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) reported on Dec. 8 that it had found Russian passports, anti-Ukrainian propaganda, and a stolen collection of icons during searches at the premises of the Russian Orthodox Church's Ukrainian branch. The searches were conducted at 13 Moscow-linked churches, monasteries, and adjoining facilities in Cherkasy,
Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council has proposed banning Russian-affiliated religious groups, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his evening address on Dec. 1. The most significant of the groups is the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, an affiliate of the Russian Orthodox Church. The National Security and Defense
Ukraine has two main orthodox churches, and the one run by Moscow is having a hard time. Starting from Nov. 22, Ukraine's law enforcement has raided several premises of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP). The latest search occurred on Nov. 28 in western Ukraine. Ukraine's Security
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