Court hearing in UOC Kyiv Metropolia case postponed

Kyiv’s Sixth Administrative Court of Appeal. Photo: RBC-Ukraine

Kyiv’s Sixth Administrative Court of Appeal has granted a defense motion in the case involving the UOC Kyiv Metropolia. This was reported by UOC lawyer Archpriest Nikita Chekman.

The court postponed the hearing in the DESS lawsuit seeking to liquidate the UOC Kyiv Metropolia until July 22, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. The lawyers called on the faithful to support the Church with their holy prayers as the court proceedings continue.

The legal dispute has been ongoing since September 2025, when DESS filed a lawsuit seeking the liquidation of the UOC Kyiv Metropolia. In response, Church representatives filed a counterclaim demanding that the actions of the DESS head be declared unlawful and that the order approving the “religious studies examination” of the UOC Statute be annulled.

On May 19, 2026, the Administrative Court of Cassation fully upheld the Metropolia’s appeal in this proceeding. The court overturned the decision to separate the claims in the counterclaim, which UOC lawyers had previously challenged. Before that, the appellate court had recognized the DESS examination itself as “defective” and devoid of legal force.

As the UOJ reported, the UOC challenged the unlawful decision of the Kyiv Regional Council in court.

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