The Russian Foreign Minister announced that he had appealed to the UN and the Vatican regarding the situation with the canonical Church in Ukraine

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced the submission to the UN, the OSCE, and the Vatican of a special report prepared by the Russian Foreign Ministry, which details violations of the rights of believers and the illegal actions of the Ukrainian authorities against the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. This is already the third such document sent to international organizations to draw attention to the persecution of clergy and parishioners. This was reported by Romfea.gr.

During a meeting with the head of the Vatican’s foreign ministry, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Russian minister emphasized that the canonical church is facing an unprecedented wave of persecution. In several regions of Ukraine, the activities of religious communities have been effectively banned under the pretext of their alleged ties to Russia.

The situation worsened on September 23, 2024, when a law adopted by the Verkhovna Rada and signed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy came into force, establishing the legal framework for a widespread ban on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church throughout the country. The actions of the Kyiv regime are a cause for serious concern, a fact that the Russian side has been consistently bringing to the attention of the international community and the Holy See.