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President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree on Dec. 2 to approve a proposal by the National Security and Defense Council to ban Russian-affiliated religious groups and impose sanctions on a number of pro-Moscow bishops.
The primary target of these measures is the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, an affiliate of the Russian Orthodox Church.
The National Security and Defense Council instructed the Cabinet on Dec. 1 to draft a bill on such a ban. The bill is expected to be considered by the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament.
Zelensky also sanctioned Vadym Novynsky, an ex-lawmaker from the pro-Russian Opposition Bloc and sponsor of the Moscow-backed church; Pavlo Lebid, head of the Russian-affiliated church's Kyiv Pechersk Lavra and an ex-lawmaker from the pro-Russian Party of Regions, and Rotyslav Shvets, a bishop who "annexed" his Crimean diocese of the Russian-backed Ukrainian Orthodox Church to the Russian Orthodox Church in June.
Sanctions were also imposed on several other Moscow Patriarchate bishops in Ukraine's Crimea and a bishop who annexed his diocese in Russian-occupied parts of Luhansk Oblast to the Russian Orthodox Church in October.
The SBU reported on Dec. 2 that it was conducting searches at Moscow Patriarchate churches and monasteries in Zhytomyr, Rivne, and Zakarpattia oblasts.
The security measures aim to counter the subversive activities of Russian special services in Ukraine and protect the population from provocations and terrorist attacks, according to the SBU.
During previous raids, the SBU found Russian propaganda and xenophobic literature, Russian passports belonging to senior clergy, and documents with pro-Russian ideological messages at the premises of the Russian-backed church.
In May, the Moscow-affiliated Ukrainian church said it would have “full independence” from the Russian Orthodox Church, reacting to criticism of Russian-backed church leaders amid the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The Ukrainian branch also said that it “condemns the war” and “disagrees with the position of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow on the war in Ukraine.”
However, skeptics said it was just a ploy to appease critics since the Ukrainian branch effectively remained part of the Russian church and did not declare “autocephaly” – the Orthodox term for genuine independence. Under Orthodox rules, only one independent - or "autocephalous" - church can exist in a specific country.
The Russian-backed church's full independence under Orthodox rules would imply its merger with the independent Orthodox Church of Ukraine but the Moscow-affiliated church has opposed such a unification.
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Friday, October 2
"I would like to thank all the experts - Hungarian and Ukrainian - for their constructive, forward-looking, and insightful work in the past weeks," said Hungary's Foreign Minister Anita Orban.
"Fayard’s service of the LNG fleet is a blemish on Danish support for Ukraine. We will continue to pressure Fayard to stop," said Jens Alstrup, chairman of the NGO Freedom for Ukraine.
Kyiv will provide Washington and Congress with details of companies and individuals supporting the Rassvet network, Ukraine’s acting ambassador to the U.S., Denys Sienik, said, Reuters reported on Sept. 30.
(Updated: )
Kyiv has faced repeated Russian attacks in recent days. A large-scale Russian missile and drone attack beginning on Sept. 30 killed four people and injured at least eight, while also damaging residential and energy infrastructure in the capital.
The number includes 1,520 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.
Ukrainian drones previously struck the Samara station in April, causing a large fire and damaging five crude oil tanks, each with a capacity of 20,000 cubic meters, a source in the Security Service of Ukraine told the Kyiv Independent at the time.
Putin repeatedly said in interviews in early March 2022 that conscripts were not being asked to participate in the invasion and would not be sent to fight. Only days later, Russia’s Defense Ministry to acknowledged that some conscripts had been deployed to Ukraine and captured.
"We fought until the last moment, both publicly and privately, to prevent this from happening," Sybiha said. "You removed two oligarchs, and we will add twenty."
Putin's comments echoed warnings Russia issued to NATO on Sept. 30, saying that it would be ready to use nuclear weapons if alliance members attempt to isolate the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad.
Thursday, October 1
Led by a "sanctioned and convicted criminal fraudster," and a state-owned Russian bank tied to the military, the A7 shadow network has helped Russian entities evade sanctions since 2024.
The latest strike follows other attacks on the Southern Bridge on Oct. 1, where two Russian drones hit near the bridge's supports. This was the first time Russian drones have targeted one of the capital's bridges.
The Kyiv Independent’s new Companion Collection 🐾 brings together matching items for people and their pets while supporting animals rescued from Ukraine’s front-line communities.
