Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday signed a law banning the Russian-linked Orthodox Church in Ukraine, with the decision published on Ukraine鈥檚 parliament website.
Ukraine鈥檚 has been seeking to distance itself from the Russian church since 2014 and the efforts have accelerated since Russia鈥檚 2022 invasion.
Zelensky approved the bill, slammed by Russia, on Kyiv鈥檚 independence day from the Soviet Union and two and a half years into Russia鈥檚 invasion of Ukraine.
The Ukrainian Orthodox Church officially broke away from the Moscow patriarchy in 2022, but Ukrainian officials repeatedly accuse its clerics of staying loyal to Russia.聽
Russia鈥檚 invasion has been backed by the country鈥檚 Orthodox Church leader Patriarch Kirill, a staunch ally of President Vladimir Putin.
