Kyiv Metropolia of the UOC Ordered to Eliminate “Affiliation” with the Russian Orthodox Church by August 18

The State Service of Ukraine for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience (SSEFC) has issued an official order requiring the Kyiv Metropolia of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) to eliminate violations of Ukrainian legislation. The decision was based on an investigation into the «possible ties» between this religious organization and a «foreign structure whose activities are banned in Ukraine.» This was reported on the official SSEFC website.

According to the published order, the Kyiv Metropolia of the UOC must correct the identified violations by August 18, 2025.

In addition, SSEFC approved a list of religious organizations that are part of or affiliated with the structure of the Kyiv Metropolia of the UOC. This list includes:

religious organizations whose leaders, according to the UOC’s Statute on Church Governance, are members of the Council of Bishops of the UOC, which is convened and led by the Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine;

religious organizations officially registered with the Kyiv Metropolia of the UOC as their founder.

Thus, the Ukrainian authorities demand that the Kyiv Metropolia «bring its activities into compliance with current Ukrainian legislation concerning freedom of conscience and religious organizations.»

It is also worth noting that religious scholar and OCU lobbyist Oleksandr Brodetskyi commented on the implications for other dioceses and communities of the UOC following the SSEFC order. He stated that the agency is unlikely to investigate the charters of other UOC religious bodies, since all of them are legally connected to the Kyiv Metropolia and therefore also considered affiliated with the Russian Orthodox Church.