The head of the OCU has suggested that the Russian Orthodox Church may have a presence in Ukraine in the future

Epiphany Dumenko, head of the OCU, stated that he sees no obstacles to the future activities of the Russian Orthodox Church’s representative office in Ukraine, based on the principle of freedom of conscience. At the same time, he emphasized the need for complete transparency regarding religious affiliation.

In an interview with Radio Liberty, Dumenko explained that every believer has the right to freely practice their faith; however, religious communities subordinate to Moscow must openly declare their dependence on the Russian Orthodox Church rather than positioning themselves as independent Ukrainian churches. According to the head of the OCU, “Russia seeks to maintain a large-scale structure in Ukraine to advance its own political goals, while blocking any opportunities for the Ukrainian church to operate on its territory.”

As a reminder, Epiphany Dumenko, the head of the Ukrainian schism, previously stated that international recognition of the OCU’s autocephaly directly depends on the weakening of the influence and pressure exerted by the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC). According to Dumenko, many religious organizations around the world are waiting to see the outcome of the current war before formally establishing relations with the Ukrainian church.