Deadline Approaches for “Voluntary Break with Moscow”: Authorities Report UOC Absence in Regions

In the Ivano-Frankivsk region, according to the Regional Military Administration, there are no longer any religious communities affiliated with the «Moscow Church.» In response to a media request, officials reported that since March 2022, UOC churches in the region have remained closed, and between August 2024 and January 2025, only one community changed its jurisdiction. This was reported by Glavkom.

The Lviv Regional Administration previously made a similar statement, declaring that the UOC had «ceased to exist» in the region. According to official data, three UOC communities have joined the OCU over the past year.

It should be recalled that in August 2024, Law No. 8371 came into force, establishing a nine-month period for religious organizations to voluntarily “sever ties with Russia.” That period is now drawing to a close.

However, the actual situation of communities that refused to submit to the OCU remains outside the scope of official statistics.

Earlier, we reported that Glavkom’s editor-in-chief, Mykola Pidveziany, published a column criticizing the lack of visible progress in implementing the law banning the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. He specifically noted that nine months have passed since the law was adopted — the same period the government allotted for the “voluntary” transfer of communities it considers affiliated with the Moscow Patriarchate.