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Kiev plotting new moves against Ukrainian Orthodox Church — Russian envoy to UN

The special status of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church is reflected in the Charter of the Russian Orthodox Church, which the Council of Bishops adopted in 2000

UNITED NATIONS, January 18. /TASS/. The Kiev government is plotting new measures, aimed at discriminating and ultimately eliminating the canonic Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Russian Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya said.

"By the available information, a bunch of further initiatives are being prepared at the moment, which aim at discriminating the communes and parishioners of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, depriving this Church of its historical and legal name, and even completely eliminating it," he told Tuesday’s session of the UN Security Council, initiated by Russia to discuss human rights in Ukraine.

The UOC is a self-governing church with broad autonomy within the Moscow Patriarchate. The special status of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church is reflected in the Charter of the Russian Orthodox Church, which the Council of Bishops adopted in 2000. However, the Council of the UOC on May 27 of last year announced the adoption of amendments to the UOC Charter, declaring its complete independence. At the same time, the Ukrainian authorities recently stepped up a campaign against the UOC. Since November 2022, the Ukrainian security service SBU has been conducting searches in its churches and dioceses throughout the country. Several hierarchs were charged with treason and subversive activities.

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Ukraine Vasily Nebenzya

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