Blogger: I'm ashamed of supporting OCU, it is now part of Zelensky's regime

Dumenko and Oleshko. Photo: Oleshko’s Facebook page

Ukrainian blogger Myroslav Oleshko stated that he is ashamed of his former support for the OCU, calling the structure part of Zelensky's political regime. He wrote about this on his Facebook account.

The blogger wrote that in 2018–2019 he sincerely supported the creation of the OCU under Epifaniy Dumenko, but over time became convinced that this was a mistake. According to him, the structure had moved away from Gospel values, citing the words from the Gospel of Matthew (7:15–16) about false prophets who are recognized “by their fruits.”

"The OCU today is no longer an independent Ukrainian church. It is part of Zelensky's regime, part of the 'party of war,'" Oleshko wrote. The reason for the sharp statement was the presentation of the so-called "Christian Corps" at the Refectory Church of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, which included the "Brotherhood" battalion, the "Company of Jesus Christ," and other units associated with Dmytro Korchynsky.

Oleshko noted that the OCU leadership did not simply remain silent about the presence at the Lavra of people who had previously publicly called Ukrainian draft evaders "cattle" and justified the forcible detention of men, but in fact provided them with shelter and legitimacy. In his view, this was not a mistake but a conscious choice in favor of integration into the state power structure rather than protecting parishioners.

“When a religious organization places political expediency and radicalism above God’s commandments, it loses its spiritual authority,” Oleshko said, calling for the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra to be taken away from the OCU.

"History always puts everything in its place: just as political regimes come to their end, so too will the religious structures that became their instruments ultimately remain only a sad page of the past," the blogger concluded.

As the UOJ reported, radical combat units were presented at the Lavra's Refectory Church.

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