UOC Metropolis challenges illegal decision of Kyiv Regional Council in court

Kyiv Regional Council. Photo: open sources

The Kyiv Metropolis of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) has filed a lawsuit seeking to overturn a decision adopted by the Kyiv Regional Council on February 26, 2026. This was reported by the UOC press service.

The challenged resolution effectively called on local self-government bodies to facilitate the transfer of UOC communities to other religious denominations and to exercise oversight over the property of religious communities. According to the Metropolis’ legal team, such actions exceed the authority of local government bodies and create additional pressure on believers.

The attorneys note that the Regional Council based its decision on a finding by the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience (DESS) regarding the alleged affiliation of the Kyiv Metropolis with the Russian Orthodox Church. However, the legality of the DESS decision itself is currently being challenged in court and has not been finally established.

As the UOJ reported, the Kyiv Regional Council adopted a resolution urging local authorities to assist in the transfer of UOC communities to other denominations. The Kyiv Metropolis argues that the Constitution of Ukraine guarantees the separation of Church and State, and that questions concerning the canonical affiliation of religious communities can be decided only by their own members, without interference from state authorities or local self-government bodies. In its lawsuit, the Metropolis asks the court to declare the Regional Council’s decision unlawful and to annul it.

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