Ukrainian Party Demands Immediate Ban on UOC

KYIV — On August 7, 2025, the People's Movement of Ukraine ("Rukh") party issued a statement calling for an immediate ban on the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC). The statement was published on a website of the schismatic Orthodox Church of Ukraine.

Rukh argued that the UOC failed to comply with the 2023 law "On the Protection of the Constitutional Order in the Activities of Religious Organizations," which mandated a 9-month period to sever ties with the Russian Orthodox Church. Rukh also claimed the UOC did not meet these requirements, justifying their demand for its prohibition.

The party further asserted that Ukraine should have only one Local Church, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), and urged authorities to finalize the liquidation of the UOC. Expressing frustration with the government's inaction, "Rukh" emphasized the need for decisive intervention in religious matters, particularly during wartime.

Despite such pressures, the UOC remains Ukraine's largest religious organization by the number of communities and supporters, with twice as many churches as the OCU, even in Kyiv.

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