Dumenko foresees RF's collapse and OCU recognition by Russian Church

Epifaniy Dumenko in Berlin. Photo: OCU

Epifaniy Dumenko stated that Russia could potentially break up and that the Moscow Patriarchate might subsequently recognize the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) during a forum in Berlin. Information about the event was published on the OCU website.

On June 25, 2026, at the Academy of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, during the panel discussion "Faith, War and Responsibility", the head of the OCU "predicted" that Russia's defeat in the war will lead to the fall of the current regime and the possible disintegration of the country.

"Without total control from the Kremlin... the ROC will recognize the OCU. It will have to do so, because this is required by the canonical church order and the good of Orthodoxy," Epifaniy said.

Dumenko also told those present about his desire for dialogue with the UOC, calling it "the Metropolitanate of the Moscow Patriarchate in Ukraine." According to him, the appeals of his structure are ignored, but "those who hear us unite with the OCU; more than two thousand communities have already voluntarily joined the family of our Local Church."

He also accused those who remain faithful to the UOC of wishing "to be with Moscow – they continue to hope that Russia will win and demand that Ukraine return everything they had under Yanukovych."

"But these hopes are vain. Therefore, we see only one path — the path of uniting all Orthodox Christians in Ukraine, as defined by the Tomos of Autocephaly. Moscow has no right to control the life of Orthodox Christians in Ukraine, and the time will come when this control, which is currently exercised over the UOC-MP, will finally be a thing of the past," Dumenko concluded his speech.

As the UOJ reported, Epifaniy had previously stated that in time everyone in the UOC would "open their eyes" and join the OCU.

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