Church Excommunication of Victoria Kokhanovska
The Odesa Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) has issued a decree severing Victoria Svyatoslavivna Kokhanovska from church unity and barring her from the Holy Sacrament of Communion. The document was signed by Metropolitan Agafangel of Odesa and Izmail, a senior permanent member of the UOC's Holy Synod. Dated June 27, 2026, and numbered 245/63, a copy of the decree has been sent to the Primate of the UOC, Metropolitan Onufriy of Kyiv and All Ukraine.
Reasons and Context Behind the Decision
The excommunication was imposed under Canon 55 of the Holy Apostles and Canon 6 of the Second Ecumenical Council. The stated grounds for the penalty include:
- rudeness;
- loss of feminine dignity;
- deliberate disrespect toward church hierarchy;
- spreading false rumors;
- unsubstantiated accusations and slander.
Kokhanovska is accused of making degrading remarks and insulting UOC clergy, as well as intentionally attempting to incite hostility between church leaders and the faithful. She is also charged with provocative calls to undermine church order, leading believers into temptation and confusion.
The restrictions will remain in place until she offers sincere public repentance, retracts her slanderous statements, and amends her conduct. In addition, Kokhanovska was summoned for interrogation by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU). She is an outspoken supporter of the Moscow-linked church and gained attention during protests by UOC-MP supporters near the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra. According to her, the subpoena states only that she is a witness in a case, but the details remain unclear:
“The subpoena only says I am a witness in a case, but it’s not known what the case is about—only the case number is given, and all details are classified due to wartime conditions.”
This excommunication highlights internal tensions within the Ukrainian Orthodox Church amid the country’s ongoing political turmoil. The UOC's actions toward Kokhanovska may be seen as an effort to reinforce the church’s authority and maintain unity among its followers during a challenging period for Ukraine. Meanwhile, her SBU interrogation underscores the significance of investigations involving religious figures in the context of national security and countering disinformation.