Austrian think tank reports on Zelensky’s persecution of UOC

Zelensky in the Verkhovna Rada. Photo: abcps.eu/Analytics

The Austrian analytical center ABC Political Studies has published an article on the political situation in Ukraine, highlighting the ongoing persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church by the government.

“The UOC is a vast organisation, which, even after a decade of persecution by the authorities, still numbers millions of believers – both in Ukraine and abroad. Zelenskyy deprived the Primate of the Church, Metropolitan Onufriy, of Ukrainian citizenship, and imposed sanctions and criminal cases against Vadym Novynskyi. Many hierarchs and priests have ended up in prison. Even the intervention of US Vice President J. D. Vance did not help,” the analysts state.

They also noted that in 2019, nearly 95% of UOC believers voted for Zelensky, viewing him as an alternative to Poroshenko.

As previously reported, an OSCE expert stated that the Ukrainian government’s “directives” to the UOC have essentially become a form of repression.

Read also

In Dnipro, OCU "hierarchs" had a prayer breakfast with Jews and Catholics

About 400 participants, including representatives of Dumenko's structure, held a joint prayer breakfast in Dnipro.

The Phanar's head discussed the shelling of Ukrainian churches with the Greek consul in Kherson

The consul was impressed by the Ecumenical Patriarch's awareness of Ukraine.

In Ukraine, a petition has been created to protect Christian shrines from sacrilege

The initiative provides for amendments to the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

В ПЦУ заявили, что переименуют захваченный Александро-Невский храм в ОдессеThe OCU announced they will rename the seized St. Alexander Nevsky Church in Odessa

During the seizure of a church in Odessa, raiders from the OCU beat the secretary of the Odessa diocese of the UOC.

In Brussels, UCCRO members speak about anti-UOC actions of authorities

UCCRO members justified the state's actions against the UOC, calling them “protection of freedom of religion”.

Priest to authorities: You destroyed Lavra not physically but spiritually long ago

The cleric believes that the authorities are merely creating the illusion of caring for the Ukrainian shrine, exploiting the tragedy for their own PR.