MOSCOW, August 27. /TASS/. The law banning the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) of the Moscow Patriarchate is a "blatant attack" on Christianity and freedom of religion, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

"The Kiev regime, unfortunately, continues to show its true nature. This is a blatant attack on religious freedom, an attack on the Orthodox Church as a whole, an attack on Christianity, true Christianity," the spokesman told reporters.

Peskov pointed out that "these exercises in lawmaking are obviously censured in almost all countries of the world," as he recalled that the Vatican had already issued statements on the matter. "Our attitude to this completely unacceptable practice is, of course, obvious," he emphasized.

Law on banning Ukrainian Orthodox Church

On August 20, the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian parliament) passed the final reading of a law allowing the banning of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate. It was signed by Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky on August 24. The document is expected to enter into force 30 days after its signing.

According to the Ukrainian Security Service, as of August 2024, the authorities have opened more than 100 criminal cases against UOC priests, with 26 of them already having been sentenced. According to a Ukrainian state agency, there are at least five to six million UOC parishioners in the country.