DESS confirms: UOC remains the largest religious denomination in Ukraine
UOC Cathedral in Feofania. Photo: UOC Press Service
Ukraine’s State Service for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience (DESS), in response to a request from LIGA, confirmed that the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) remains the country’s largest religious denomination. As of January 1, 2025, the UOC comprises 10,118 religious organizations, including 9,792 religious communities.
The largest numbers of UOC structures are located in Vinnytsia (836), Dnipropetrovsk (649), and Khmelnytskyi (621) regions.
By comparison, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) has 8,511 registered organizations. The highest concentrations of OCU structures are found in Ternopil (630), Khmelnytskyi (704), and Lviv (1,013) regions.
The report also notes that since the start of the full-scale invasion, 2,022 communities have joined the OCU. However, only 1,285 of these were formerly part of the UOC. DESS did not explain the origin of the remaining parishes.
The agency underscored that it “does not record instances of potential obstruction to parish transitions, as such matters fall outside the scope of its legal authority.”
Earlier, the UOJ reported on DESS statistics regarding the number of UOC churches that had “switched” to the OCU as of January 1, 2024.
Read also
UGCC cleric criticizes OCU head for awarding Greek Catholic officials
Hieromonk Yustyn Boiko of the Lviv Archeparchy called the awarding of church honors to officials a profanation and cited the example of an OCU order presented to a Greek Catholic official.
Expert who found no defamation in Dumenko’s remarks to face disciplinary action
An Interior Ministry research center has confirmed disciplinary measures against the expert whose findings supported what the Metropolitan’s representatives described as unfounded accusations by the OCU head against Metropolitan Theodosiy.
European Parliament condemns forced Islamization of children in Pakistan
The European Parliament has called on Pakistan to establish a mechanism to protect Christian families.
Church of the Presentation damaged by shelling in Russia’s Kursk Region
The newly built church in the village of Kulbaki, Glushkovo District, was completely gutted by fire after being struck by a projectile.
UOC priests take part in celebrations at Romania’s Putna Monastery
Clergy of the Chernivtsi-Bukovyna Eparchy took part in a festive service at the ancient shrine of the Romanian Orthodox Church.
TRC officers abduct priest of UOC's Zymne Monastery
The UOC cleric was reportedly taken by force to Lutsk.