Nachrichten

Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale war, the Security Service of Ukraine has opened over 180 criminal cases against clergymen of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church formerly affiliated with the Moscow Patriarchate. According to a response from the SBU to a request from LIGA.net, thirty-eight individuals have already received actual court sentences. Among those under investigation are 23 archbishops. In 2024, eleven convictions were issued in various regions of Ukraine against representat…

The Sixth Administrative Court of Appeal rejected the request of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church for interim measures regarding the cessation of its activities. This was reported by Interfax-Ukraine. The Sixth Administrative Court of Appeal is currently reviewing a lawsuit filed by the State Service of Ukraine on Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience (DESS) against the Kyiv Metropolia of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), seeking to terminate the religious organization. On Septembe…

The State Service of Ukraine on Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience (DESS) initiated a discussion on harmonizing state-church relations. A meeting initiated by the DESS focused on changing the philosophy of relations between the state and religious organizations. Participants included representatives from the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations (UCCRO), members of parliament, and officials from various ministries and executive bodies, as well as DESS staff, ac…

Der Staatsdienst für Ethnopolitik und Gewissensfreiheit der Ukraine (DESS) hat bei einem Gericht einen Antrag auf die Liquidierung der Metropolie Kyjiw der Ukrainischen Orthodoxen Kirche (UOK) gestellt, wie der Leiter des Staatsdienstes, Viktor Yelenskyj, am 2. September mitteilte. Der Grund dafür ist, dass der DESS am 27. August entschieden hatte, dass die Kyjiwer Metropolie der UOK mit einer ausländischen religiösen Organisation – der Russischen Orthodoxen Kirche (ROK) – verbunden sei, deren…

The majority of Ukrainians support a ban on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Anton Hrushetskyi, the executive director of the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS), discussed the topic in an interview with OBOZ.UA. "Certain markers of identity remain, with most people recognizing the UOC's affiliation with Russia. However, the situation is more complex. When asked about state policy towards the UOC, over half of Ukrainians — around 60% — believe it should be completely banned…

On the night of August 27–28, 2025, the Russian state once again launched terrorist attacks against the cities of Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia, and other Ukrainian towns. As a result of missile and drone strikes, civilians — including children — were killed and wounded. Residential buildings and civilian infrastructure, including a kindergarten, were destroyed or damaged; hundreds of people lost their homes, and thousands of Ukrainians endured the terror of nighttime assaults. The dictatorial Russian re…

In einem Statement vom 3. September 2025 fordert der LWB Verhandlungen für einen gerechten Frieden in der Ukraine, den Schutz der Zivilbevölkerung und humanitäre Hilfe für die notleidenden Menschen. „Jetzt ist die Zeit, die Anstrengungen für einen gerechten Frieden zu verdoppeln.“ Der Angriffskrieg gegen die Ukraine dauert nun schon fast vier Jahre an, und das Leid der Bevölkerung nimmt weiter zu. Die humanitäre Krise spitzt sich zu, Millionen Menschen sind auf der Flucht und dringend auf Hil…

As Russia launched a mass attack on Ukrainian cities overnight on 28 August killing 18, including children, World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay called for a stop to attacks on Ukraine, and urged dialogue not violence. “The World Council of Churches is appalled by Russia’s escalation of attacks impacting civilians and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine,” Pillay said. “Last night Russia launched a large-scale aerial strike on Ukrainian cities, attacki…

Die Oberhäupter verschiedener Religionsgemeinschaften haben der Ukraine und ihrer Bevölkerung zum Tag ihrer Unabhängigkeit am 24. August gratuliert. Metropolit Epifanij (Dumenko) von der Orthodoxen Kirche der Ukraine (OKU) betonte die Eigenständigkeit der Ukraine, deren Volk mit einer „einzigartigen und individuellen Existenz“ gesegnet sei und über eine eigene Sprache, Kultur und eigenes Land verfüge. Er verwies auf die „1000-jährige Geschichte“ mit „starken Wurzeln und einem antiken Glauben“…