The DESS is launching an investigation into the Balt Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church to determine whether it has ties to the Moscow Patriarchate

The State Service of Ukraine for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience (DESS) has officially announced the launch of a detailed investigation into the activities of the Administration of the Balt Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The purpose of this investigation is to determine whether there are signs of the diocese’s affiliation with a foreign religious organization whose activities are prohibited on the territory of Ukraine—a reference to the Russian Orthodox Church.

According to , the DESS’s press office reports that the procedure was initiated based on the agency’s Order No. N-142/11 dated September 2, 2026. A research team, formed earlier in June, began its analysis on September 4, 2026, in strict accordance with the requirements of the Law of Ukraine “On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organizations.”

The agency’s official statement emphasizes that its actions are carried out exclusively within the legal framework and with respect for the principles of religious freedom. Nevertheless, the regulator intends to thoroughly investigate any manifestations of foreign influence or subordination to prohibited entities. The results of the investigation will be made publicly available upon completion of all necessary procedures.

As a reminder, the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience previously concluded an “investigation,” the findings of which “revealed clear signs of affiliation between the administration of the Zaporizhzhia Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and the Moscow Patriarchate.”