"I did not commemorate Patriarch Bartholomew!": Bobrovsky to file complaint with SBU and SES against UOC Primate

Ukrainian MP Solomiya Bobrovska will send an appeal to the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the State Service for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience (DESS) demanding an investigation into the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), Metropolitan Onufriy of Kyiv and All Ukraine. The reason for such actions was the public commemoration of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow during the service. At the same time, according to the MP, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and the Patriarch of Alexandria were ignored. She stated this on the air of the Espresso TV channel .

The reason for the appeal was the recording of the service in Bancheny, a fragment of which was shown by journalists on the air of the Espresso channel. In the video, Metropolitan Onufriy commemorates Patriarch Kirill after Patriarch John of Antioch and Theophilus of Jerusalem, and then the name of Patriarch Ilia of Georgia is heard. Solomiya Bobrovska expressed outrage that the head of the UOC publicly mentions «Patriarch Kirill Gundyaev of Moscow, an ideologue and blesser of the war against Ukraine,» while completely failing to mention Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and the Patriarch of Alexandria.

The MP stressed that this is not an isolated case, but a «conscious and repeated practice» on the part of Metropolitan Onufriy. In her opinion, such actions are grounds for checking the Primate of the UOC for ties with the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC).

Solomiya Bobrovska confirmed that she would send relevant requests to both the SBU and the DESS. However, she expressed skepticism about the effectiveness of the State Service, calling its position «cautious, careful» and «surprised, to put it mildly.»

As reported, on July 2, 2025, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree terminating the citizenship of Ukraine of His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy. The SBU refers to the fact that Metropolitan Onufriy acquired the citizenship of the Russian Federation in 2002, but allegedly did not inform Ukrainian state authorities about this. At the same time, according to the SBU, he «continued to enjoy» the rights of a citizen of Ukraine. Later, the head of state actually admitted that the government’s actions against His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy of Kyiv and All Ukraine were part of a targeted policy against people whom the authorities consider «associated with Russia.»