Saint Sophia Cathedral, Kyiv, Ukraine. Photo: Ivan Sedlovskyi, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

This article was first published by Truthmeter.mk (North Macedonia), within the framework of Western Balkans Anti-Disinformation Project.

Contrary to what is stated in the post, the order did not oblige the UOC-MP to renounce Orthodoxy, change its liturgical customs, alter the language of worship, or change the church calendar. It also did not require the Church to declare autocephaly. Nothing of the sort was demanded. What was required of them was to withdraw from the Russian Orthodox Church

We analyze a Facebook post which says:

Zelensky–Kyiv, with a ban on the UOC–the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, the largest religious institution due to its close relationship with the Russian Church.
1- Zelensky, the global-satanic bootlicker is implementing the Western DEMONcratic agenda to erase Christianity.
2- Religion that depends on the will of the state is only an institutional (state-approved) religion, which is different from true faith that does not require approval from the state or any other subject or entity in order to be practiced, because it is a spiritual realization between an individual and their God and not a license–a permit to work.
3- The DPNEs are part of the EU coalition of idiots from the globalist broiler who give unconditional support to Zelensky.
4- That’s that.

The post also shares an excerpt from a text by “Russia Today” titled “Kiev wants its largest Christian denomination banned.”

It is not true that “Zelensky is a global Satanist,” nor that he is “implementing a Western demonocracy agenda to wipe out Christianity.” Christianity, and Orthodox Christianity in particular, remains the dominant religion in Ukraine. It cannot be said that Ukraine has banned Orthodoxy.

On July 24, 2025, the Kyiv Metropolis of the UOC-MP received an order in the mail obliging the organization to sever ties with the Russian Orthodox Church within one month–by August 24. This did not happen.

In Ukraine, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church–the Kyiv Patriarchate–remains active, having been formed in 1992 by Ukrainian clergy seeking independence from the Russian Orthodox Church. Christianity is the dominant religion in Ukraine and has neither been destroyed nor is there any intention from the West to do so, contrary to what is stated in the post.

Namely, Kyiv demanded that the Ukrainian Orthodox Church confirm its independence from Moscow, which did not happen, so the court is demanding the abolition of the Kyiv Metropolis. According to Viktor Yelensky, who is the head of the State Service of Ukraine on Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience, the order stipulates that the UOC-MP must withdraw from the Russian Orthodox Church, including parishes, monasteries, diocesan administrations, and theological educational institutions. In addition, the church must officially declare that the 2017 charter of the ROC is not valid for it, and that it does not recognize the annexation of its dioceses by Russia or support the actions of the occupying forces. He emphasized that the regulation does not require the UOC-MP to renounce Orthodoxy, change the language of worship, change the calendar or become part of another church.

As Kyiv claims, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church–Moscow Patriarchate (UPC) is directly connected to and supported by the Russian Orthodox Church, and the Russian Orthodox Church has openly supported the Russian military invasion of Ukraine and officially calls it a “special operation.”

Namely, the State Service of Ukraine on Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience is seeking in court the termination of the Kyiv Metropolis of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church–Moscow Patriarchate as a legal entity. This is due to its connection with the Russian Orthodox Church. This church was asked to confirm its independence from Moscow, which was not done, that is, Metropolitan Onufriy of the UOC-MP sent a letter that “ends with the fact that the order will not be fulfilled,” Deutsche Welle reported.

Viktor Yelensky stated at a briefing with reporters that since the request to confirm independence from Moscow was not fulfilled, it is his duty to declare the Kyiv Metropolis of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church affiliated with the Russian Orthodox Church, which is banned in Ukraine.

The second step is to send letters about this to the Kyiv Metropolis and to those religious organizations that are part of it or are connected with it. The third is to immediately, as stated in the law, file a lawsuit with the court to abolish the Kyiv Metropolis. In fact, that is what was done, Yelensky told reporters.

However, according to him, even if the court approves the suspension of the activities of the Kyiv Metropolis of the UOC-MP, this will not mean that all parishes belonging to this church will be closed. He explained that if the court revokes the legal entity status of the Kyiv Metropolis, the parishes will simply be left without a central governing body. They will not be forced to join another church.

The state does not force anyone to join the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) or any other. Even after the appropriate court decision, parishes can remain independent and act autonomously, Yelensky said.

Contrary to what is stated in the post, the order did not oblige the UOC-MP to renounce Orthodoxy, change liturgical customs, change the language of worship, and change the church calendar. It did not require them to declare autocephaly. Nothing like that. What was required of them was to withdraw from the Russian Orthodox Church. The State Service of Ukraine on Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience is obliged by law to sue a religious organization that is determined to have ties to a religious organization of an aggressor country, Yelensky continues.

According to Yelensky, the lawsuit will be filed with the District Administrative Court of Kyiv. The subject of the lawsuit is “On the termination of the Kyiv Metropolis of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.”

This is a legal-bureaucratic term, meaning that its activity as a legal entity is terminated. It is liquidated–one could even say. This will mean that it will lose its legal subjectivity. It will not be able to be a legal entity, it will not be able to conclude contracts, it will not be able to officially act, Yelensky explains.

At the same time, he emphasizes that the parishioners of this church will still be able to gather and pray according to their rite.

“No one can prohibit prayer. And no one will interfere with people gathering in our country to profess their faith, whether individually or collectively,” Yelensky says. 

Hence, it is clear that the statement that “religion depends on the will of the state” is not true. The Ukrainian state does not interfere in matters of faith or religion, but protects itself from Moscow’s influence disguised as religiosity. Ukrainian citizens have every right to continue practicing Christianity and Orthodoxy. The post also insults members of the VMRO-DPMNE party for allegedly being pro-EU and supporting Zelensky, but this is in no way related to the fact that Ukraine does not support a church with ties to Moscow.

Due to all the above facts, we assess the post we are reviewing as untrue.