Irpin City Сouncil urges Ukrainian central government to ban UOC

Irpin mayor Oleksandr Markushyn. Photo: news.obozrevatel.com

Irpin mayor Oleksandr Markushyn. Photo: news.obozrevatel.com

On April 27, 2023, members of the Irpin City Council decided to appeal to the President, the Verkhovna Rada, the Cabinet of Ministers and the National Security and Defense Council to ban the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, reports the Irpin mayor Oleksandr Markushyn.

The City Council asked the central authorities "to urgently adopt laws and bylaws on the prohibition of the activities of religious organizations (associations) of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate on the territory of Ukraine and to improve the procedure for transferring such religious communities to other religious organizations”.

Markushyn called the anti-church decision of the City Council "one of the most important" during the session. He said, "There can be no Russian trace in Ukraine and in the city-hero of Irpin".

As reported, in December 2022, territory defence members led by Oleksandr Markushyn and an OCU "priest" seized a Ukrainian Orthodox Church church in the village of Mykhailivka-Rubezhivka, which is part of the Irpin territorial community.

Ukraine must have its own faith: Poroshenko's party lays out peace terms

Poroshenko’s party European Solidarity described church policy as a matter of national sovereignty and said there can be no compromises in this area.

432 UOC churches damaged in Ukraine during war, report says

According to the Religion on Fire project, 807 religious buildings in Ukraine have been damaged or destroyed as a result of hostilities.

DESS official gives number of clergy exempt from mobilization in Ukraine

A DESS representative said the actual number of clergy exempt from mobilization is significantly lower than the number of religious organizations designated as critical.

Cabinet keeps gas prices unchanged for religious organizations

The Cabinet has fixed gas prices for religious organizations through the end of the 2026–2027 heating season.

Concert held at seized Cherkasy cathedral

The OCU thanked the musical ensemble for choosing the Cherkasy cathedral as the venue for a Baroque music concert.

OCU activist admits breaking into UOC church in Sloviansk

Oleksandr Onyshchenko said that the OCU held its first "service" at the Seraphim Church, which had previously been broken into by forcing the locks and doors.