The State Service for Ethnopolitics Responded to the Claims Made by Lawyers for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church

The State Service of Ukraine for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience (DESS) issued an official statement in response to criticism from legal representatives of the Kyiv Metropolis of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The agency refuted the defense’s arguments, accusing the lawyers of spreading misinformation and attempting to discredit the country’s leadership.

The conflict erupted after UOC lawyers called the statements by DESS head Viktor Yelensky unfounded. According to , the official believes that the activities of the UOC’s human rights advocates are aimed exclusively at keeping the organization within the Russian Orthodox Church. In its response, the agency emphasized that it “fundamentally upholds freedom of religion,” but considers the lawyers’ actions to be a tool for destabilization.

The DESS also expressed concern that ordinary believers of the UOC, in their view, do not possess accurate information about the agency’s requirements. Officials stated that the content of their directives is “distorted beyond recognition,” though they did not specify the basis for such conclusions regarding parishioners’ awareness.

The statement devoted special attention to Robert Amsterdam, the UOC’s international attorney. The DESS accused him of actively working to undermine international aid to Ukraine and create a negative image of the state on the world stage. The agency sharply criticized the lawyer’s public statements, in particular his interview with Tucker Carlson, describing them as a “clump of disinformation.” Similar accusations were also leveled against Vadim Novinsky, a protodeacon of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

As a reminder, the legal team of the Kyiv Metropolis of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church issued an official statement calling the claims made by Viktor Yelensky, head of the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience (DESS), Viktor Yelensky, as baseless and discrediting. The conflict arose over recent public comments made by a representative of the government agency regarding ongoing legal disputes involving the Metropolis.