The Ukrainian Orthodox Church has come under scrutiny for its affiliation with the Russian Orthodox Church. The State Service of Ukraine on Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience has identified signs of connections between the Kyiv Metropolitan of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine and the Russian church, which contradicts Ukrainian legislation. Consequently, the UOC received an order to sever ties with the ROC, but its head refused to comply with this decision.
«The investigation revealed signs of affiliation between the Kyiv Metropolitan of the UOC and the ROC, which is a violation of Ukrainian law. Accordingly, the State Service has sent the UOC a directive to rectify the legal violation», - the message states.
In light of the refusal to comply with the directive, the UOC has been recognized as affiliated with a foreign religious organization whose activities are prohibited in Ukraine. This situation confirms the tense relations between religious institutions in Ukraine and Russia.