A recent survey has revealed that 80% of Ukrainians support a new law banning religious groups affiliated with Russia, as Kyiv intensifies efforts to sever ties with institutions accused of aiding Moscow during the ongoing war. The law targets the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), which has long been suspected of collaborating with Russia, despite its claims of independence from Moscow. The poll, conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology, underscores the widespread public backing for the government’s move to distance itself from Russia-aligned entities.
The UOC, which represents about 6% of Ukrainians, has faced accusations of being a vehicle for Moscow’s influence in Ukraine. Critics argue that some UOC clergy have cooperated with Russian intelligence services, exacerbating tensions during the war. The church, however, denies these charges and insists that it formally cut ties with the Russian Orthodox Church in May 2022, just a few months after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
In response to these concerns, Ukraine passed a law in August banning the Russian Orthodox Church from operating on Ukrainian territory. The legislation mandates that a government commission compile a list of organizations with ties to Russia, whose activities will subsequently be outlawed. Lawmakers have acknowledged that the process of dismantling the UOC’s presence will be complicated, given that each UOC parish is a separate legal entity. These parishes will have up to nine months to decide whether they will sever ties with the church.
While the UOC has lost followers, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), an independent church formed in 2019, has grown in influence. The OCU, which is recognized by the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, has been seen as a symbol of Ukrainian resistance to Russian domination. Hundreds of UOC parishes have already switched allegiance to the OCU since the war began, leading to tensions in some rural areas where the UOC once had a stronghold.
Support for the ban on Russia-affiliated religious groups is broad across all regions of Ukraine that remain under Kyiv’s control, according to the poll. Even in the predominantly Russian-speaking east, more than 70% of respondents backed the legislation. This highlights the national consensus against entities perceived to be aligned with Moscow during the war.
Despite the widespread support for the ban, a minority of 16% opposed it, with an additional 4% of respondents expressing uncertainty. Throughout the war, the Ukrainian government has argued that religious groups with ties to Russia pose significant national security risks, a claim that has been echoed by many Ukrainian citizens.
The UOC has pushed back against these allegations, accusing the government of orchestrating a “witch hunt” against the church. Nonetheless, Ukrainian authorities have arrested and tried numerous UOC clergy on charges ranging from treason to collaborating with Russian forces. Some clergymen have even been traded in prisoner exchanges with Russia, including one case in which a UOC priest accused of espionage was swapped for 28 Ukrainian soldiers.
The concerns over Moscow’s influence through the Russian Orthodox Church extend beyond Ukraine’s borders. Lawmakers in Estonia and the Czech Republic have also raised alarms this year about the potential role the church plays in advancing Russian interests in their countries. These concerns underscore the broader geopolitical ramifications of religious affiliations in Eastern Europe amid the ongoing conflict.
As Kyiv continues to navigate the complexities of this issue, the Ukrainian government’s efforts to ban Russia-affiliated religious groups reflect the deepening divisions between Ukraine and Moscow. The war has not only reshaped political and military landscapes but also sparked a battle for religious and cultural independence from Russia, with the Ukrainian public largely standing behind these moves.
