UGCC Head Sviatoslav Shevchuk and Azov representatives agree to jointly fight "Russian influence"

The head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC), Sviatoslav Shevchuk, met with the leadership of the Azov unit in Kyiv to discuss information security and spiritual support for the military. The key topics of the dialogue were countering the religious influence of the Russian Federation and organizing nationwide prayer events.

According to the press service of the UGCC, the meeting was held on May 7, 2026, at the Patriarchal Center of the UGCC. The discussion was attended by the deputy commander of the Azov Corps, Colonel Sviatoslav Palamar, and the head of the military chaplaincy service of the unit, Fr Mykola Vizer. Mykola Vizer. The participants of the meeting agreed that in the current conflict, the Church is obliged to play an active role in «countering Russian influence,» which, according to them, is realized through certain religious structures.

The parties paid special attention to supporting Ukrainian prisoners of war and their families. Sviatoslav Shevchuk officially supported the initiative of Azov representatives to hold a church-wide prayer for the captured defenders of Ukraine on May 17 in all UGCC churches. The head of the Uniates emphasized the critical need to constantly draw public attention to the fate of military personnel held in captivity.

It is worth noting that a similar meeting of the unit’s representatives was held with the head of the OCU Epiphany Dumenko. He also blessed the holding of a «special prayer» within the walls of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, scheduled for May 17. At the same time, the article emphasizes that the leaders of both denominations prefer to ignore information about regular neo-pagan rituals within the unit. According to critics, the rhetoric of fighting the «influence of the Russian Federation» is used by the leaders of the OCU and the UGCC primarily to increase pressure on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC).