Kyiv Metropolia of UOC sues Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers

Photo: Kyiv District Administrative Court. Source: investigator

On June 24, 2025, the Kyiv District Administrative Court received a lawsuit filed by the Kyiv Metropolia of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church against the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. The State Service for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience (DESS) is listed as a third party in the case, according to UOJ sources.

The essence of the lawsuit is a demand to declare unlawful the Cabinet’s Resolution No. 543 of May 9, 2025, titled: “On Approval of the Procedure for Conducting an Investigation into the Affiliation of a Religious Organization with a Foreign Religious Organization Whose Activities Are Banned in Ukraine.”

The case was assigned to Judge Alona Kushnova, who is known for a biased ruling in a previous case brought by the Kyiv Metropolia and the Pochaiv Lavra against the Ministry of Culture, in which she upheld the so-called “Renaming Law.” This law required UOC structures to amend their charters to indicate affiliation with the Russian Orthodox Church.

As a reminder, DESS launched an investigation into the Kyiv Metropolia’s ties to Russia on May 20.

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