The DESS found no signs of affiliation of the Odesa Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church(A) with banned organizations

The State Service of Ukraine for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience (DESS) has completed a comprehensive study that found no signs of affiliation of the Diocesan Administration of the Odesa Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad (Agatangel Pashkovsky) with foreign religious organizations whose activities are banned in Ukraine.

According to the official website of the DESS, the study was completed on December 24, 2025. Its main goal was to establish the presence or absence of ties between the Odesa Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church with religious structures whose activities are recognized as illegal in Ukraine.

The comprehensive analysis was conducted “in strict accordance with the current legislation of Ukraine and the procedure approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.” The research team found no signs of such affiliation, confirming that the diocese’s activities complied with Ukrainian regulations.

The decision was officially approved by an order issued on the basis of the experts’ findings. This step gives legal force to the results of the investigation and confirms their finality.

Earlier, we reported that the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience (DESS) officially approved the list of religious organizations affiliated with a foreign religious structure whose activities are banned in Ukraine. The list includes the Kyiv Metropolitanate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and the Korean Holy Trinity Stavropegic Monastery. This decision will entail legal consequences provided for by law.