The DESS has launched an investigation into the Zaporizhzhia Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) regarding its ties to the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC)

The State Service of Ukraine for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience (DESS) has launched an official investigation into the Zaporizhzhia Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC). The main purpose of the inspection is to determine whether the diocese’s leadership has administrative and canonical ties to a “foreign religious organization,” which is understood to mean the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC).

According to the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience reports that the agency’s specialists are conducting a thorough examination of the diocese’s management structure and internal documents. At this time, representatives of the Zaporizhzhia Diocese of the UOC have not provided any official comments regarding the investigation initiated by the state agency.

This initiative is part of a systematic campaign to identify ties between religious organizations within the country and the Moscow Patriarchate. Previously, the State Service for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience (DESS) had already conducted similar inspections of a number of monasteries and dioceses of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. In particular, after it was established that the Korets Monastery was affiliated with the Russian Orthodox Church, the monastery’s operations were threatened with a complete ban.

As a reminder, the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience (DESS) recently officially notified the leadership of the Pochaiv Lavra of the need to sever ties with the Kyiv Metropolis of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and the Russian Orthodox Church. Otherwise, the agency is prepared to initiate legal proceedings to shut down the religious institution.