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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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Saturday, August 29
(Updated: )
Near-continuous air raid alerts across large swaths of Ukraine stretched into a third consecutive day on Aug. 29, as Russia launched continued waves of attacks targeting the country.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz's government is expected to announce the measures in the coming week, potentially alongside a new European Union sanctions package, according to Politico.
(Updated: )
At around 8:10 p.m. local time on Aug. 28, a Russian drone struck a facility in the village of Myla, about 5 kilometers (3 miles) west of Kyiv along the Kyiv-Chop highway. The attack sparked a large fire, followed by ammunition detonations, the Prosecutor General's Office reported.
"Yes, that's the food chain. Children should be taught about this, so that they understand what kind of world we live in and why we are conducting the special military operation," Vladimir Putin said.
The General Staff added that the destruction of a Russian Buk-M3 surface-to-air missile system near the town of Klintsy in Russia's Bryansk Oblast on Aug. 28 had also been confirmed.
As of Aug. 29, there had been no reports of Ukrainian citizens being injured or killed, according to the ministry.
"The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces has developed possible response scenarios, including measures to defend, protect, and counter these actions," Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Pavlo Palisa said.
The date, Aug. 29, is linked to the tragedy near the city of Ilovaisk, Donetsk Oblast when Russian forces in 2014 violated an agreement to provide a safe corridor for Ukrainian troops to withdraw from encirclement and opened fire on them.
The figure includes 1,420 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.
(Updated: )
Ukrainian forces struck a warehouse belonging to Russian e-commerce giant Ozon overnight on Aug. 29, the company announced, as sites across southern Russia's Rostov Oblast were reportedly targeted.
(Updated: )
"On the fifth year of the full-scale invasion, making the same mistakes is criminal negligence," Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi said. "And all those responsible, without exception, must face severe punishment so that such situations do not happen again."
"I am grateful for the information and for the necessary tone of the conversation with Russia," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
Earlier, Ukraine's Presidential Office issued a warning, saying that Russia plans to mobilize 600,000 recruits over 2026 and 2027, with 300,000 to be called up this year and another 300,000 next year.
"The task is a thousand drones for long-range strikes against Russia every day. Right now, the average is over 300 of our long-range strikes, there must be more," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
Friday, August 28
(Updated: )
Fedorov said that, in this role, he "would help Italy develop modern warfare technologies, strengthen its defense sector, and adapt to emerging global security challenges."
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