SBU initiates blocking of website about UOC persecution

In Ukraine, the website "Godfighters of Ukraine" was blocked at the request of the SBU. Photo: UOJ

On September 17, 2026, the National Center for Operational and Technical Management of Telecommunications Networks, at the request of the Security Service of Ukraine, issued an order to block the webpage of the human rights project "Godfighters of Ukraine", which systematically monitors violations of the rights of UOC believers.

The access restriction affected a special section of the website, which positions itself as an independent human rights initiative and an archive of religious persecutions in Ukraine. Providers of electronic communications networks and services are required to implement a temporary restriction of access to the Internet resource by technically feasible means.

The legal basis for the state authority's decision is cited as Article 32 of the Law of Ukraine "On Electronic Communications," the Presidential Decree of Ukraine on the introduction of martial law, and the Procedure for the creation and operation of the system of operational and technical management of networks for the purposes of defense and state security.

On the blocked resource, the authors have collected hundreds of materials documenting facts of forcible seizures of churches, repressions, and the actions of individuals whom researchers have identified as being involved in violations of the rights of UOC communities and believers. The platform features permanent sections: "Church Seizures," "Victims of Repression," "Persecutors," and "Chronicle."

In addition to a chronicle of local events, the human rights resource systematically publishes assessments, official documents, and statements from international organizations and Local Churches regarding the legal status of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

Previously, the UOJ reported that in Ukraine the SBU blocked websites covering the activities of the UOC.

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