The DESS officially registered the "Ukrainian Interchurch Council", which spoke in defense of the traditional family

The State Service of Ukraine for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience (DESS) has granted official status to the Ukrainian Interchurch Council (UIC) as a religious organization. During its first official meeting, the association called on parliament to protect the constitutional status of the family in response to the high-profile decisions of the Supreme Court.

According to the press service of the UIC, the official registration took place on April 23, 2026 in Kiev. Despite the fact that the council has been functioning in the country for almost twenty years and unites more than 1,300 religious organizations, missions and movements, the HESS order finally consolidated its subjectivity in the legal field. During the meeting, senior Charismatic bishop Andriy Tishchenko was elected as the new UMC chairman, and his deputies were again Mykola Savchuk and Ruslan Kukharchuk.

The central topic on the agenda was a discussion of the Supreme Court verdict recognizing «de facto marital relations» between two men. The members of the council expressed their categorical disagreement with this decision and prepared an official appeal to the deputies of the Verkhovna Rada. The document emphasizes the need for consistent protection of the Constitution of Ukraine, which clearly defines marriage as the union of a man and a woman.

As practical steps to promote their position, the representatives of the UMS planned large-scale thematic actions timed to coincide with Mother’s Day and Family Day, which will be held during May and June. Earlier, the DESS also addressed issues related to the reservation of clergy representatives stationed abroad.