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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Peter Smith

Ukraine moves to ban Orthodox church it claims is linked with Moscow

Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Kirill, left, leads the Orthodox Easter service as Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin stand near at Christ the Saviour Cathedral in Moscow, Russia, April 20, 2025 - (Russian Orthodox Church Press Service)

A branch of the Orthodox Church in Ukraine faces an imminent ban from the government, which claims it has failed to sever its long-standing ties with Moscow.

The impending prohibition targets one of the two rival Orthodox branches in the country, highlighting the turbulent role of religion as a cultural and spiritual battleground in tandem with the wider war. Orthodoxy is the majority faith in both Russia and Ukraine.

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