Ukraine Hits Russian Orthodox Clerics with Sanctions

Kiev announced sanctions targeting ten top clerics in the Russian Orthodox church. The move came after President Volodymyr Zelensky announced he was seeking to ban any religion with ties to the Russian Federation from operating in Ukraine. 

Ukraine’s Security services issued a statement on Sunday that announced ten senior members of the Russian Orthodox Church were sanctioned. Kiev alleged the clerics were working with Moscow. 

“The Security Service of Ukraine continues to carry out comprehensive work on the protection of Ukrainian statehood and will continue to expose persons who threaten the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine,” the statement said.

The sanctions are unlikely to have a major impact as all of the sanctions religious figures are not in territory controlled by Kiev, but are a part of a more significant effort to purge Russian culture from Ukraine. In his nightly address on Thursday, he declared the ban on religions with ties to Russia was needed to “never allow anyone to build an empire inside the Ukrainian soul.”

The number of Ukrainians who plastic in Russian Orthodox parishes is unclear. Some recent polls report the number is as low as 15%, but those polls do not consult Ukrainians living in Russian-held territory. Zelensky has vowed to retake all of Ukraine. Meaning, millions of people living in the Donbas and Crimean would lose their ability to worship if those regions are retaken by Kiev.