Kyiv Court Delays UOC Dissolution Case Until September

KYIV — As reported by UOJ-Ukraine, the Sixth Administrative Court of Appeal on Wednesday postponed until September a closely watched case in which the State Service for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience (DESS) is seeking the dissolution of the Kyiv Metropolis of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC).

According to the Metropolis' attorney, Archpriest Nikita Chekman, the next hearing is scheduled for Sept. 10 at 10 a.m. During Wednesday's proceedings, the court continued reviewing the names of citizens who have petitioned to participate in the case as third parties. Chekman said approximately 10,000 such applications have been submitted by Orthodox faithful seeking to join the proceedings.

Outside the courthouse, members of the UOC gathered for a prayer vigil before and during the hearing, praying together and reciting Psalm 90. While the faithful remained assembled, a group identified as supporters of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) approached the gathering. The group, led by activist Davyd Pshenychnyi and accompanied by several masked individuals, carried a bucket containing an unidentified liquid and sprinkled it onto the ground near the worshippers. Witnesses alleged the act was intended to mock the Orthodox blessing of holy water and provoke those assembled.

Pshenychnyi previously participated in the October 2024 seizure of the UOC’s St. Michael’s Cathedral in Cherkasy, where he was filmed inside the church carrying a handgun.

Despite the incident, the UOC faithful continued praying and did not engage with the demonstrators. Following the adjournment, Chekman thanked Orthodox Christians for their prayers and support throughout the legal proceedings.

The lawsuit has been pending since September 2025, when DESS sought the dissolution of the Kyiv Metropolis. In response, the UOC filed a counterclaim challenging the legality of the agency's actions and seeking to overturn the order approving a religious expert assessment of the UOC's statute. In May 2026, Ukraine's cassation court ruled that the counterclaims should remain consolidated rather than be heard separately.

Previously, the UOJ reported that the UOC secured a procedural victory in the ongoing liquidation case.