Ukraine's parliament has passed a bill banning the activities of religious groups associated with the Russian Orthodox Church or any faith group supporting Russia's invasion. The legislation, approved with 265 affirmative votes and 29 opposed, allows the government to prohibit the activities of religious groups deemed too closely linked to Russia or supportive of the invasion.
The ban specifically targets the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), historically tied to the Russian church. While the UOC claims independence from Moscow, the Ukrainian government asserts its continued canonical ties to the Russian church and its Moscow-based patriarch, who has characterized the invasion as a holy war.
