The Russian Orthodox Church as an Instrument of Kremlin Influence and a Factor of Destabilisation in Ukraine
The Russian Orthodox Church as an Instrument of Kremlin Influence and a Factor of Destabilisation in Ukraine

Summary/Abstract: This article investigates the role of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) and its Ukrainian branch--the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP)--as instruments of Russian political influence and destabilization in Ukraine. The study focuses on the UOC-MP's ideological alignment with the Kremlin and its impact on Ukrainian national security, especially in the context of Russia's ongoing aggression. Employing a qualitative analysis of official church statements, government documents, legislative acts, and media reports , the research traces the evolving relationship between the UOC-MP and the ROC, including the effects of the 2018 Tomos of Autocephaly and the aftermath of the 2022 full-scale invasion. The findings demonstrate that despite a formal declaration of separation from the ROC, the UOC-MP continued to maintain institutional and ideological ties with Moscow, leading to increased societal distrust and state intervention. The culmination of this process was the 2024 ban on the ROC and its affiliates in Ukraine, which signaled a decisive move toward religious sovereignty and the consolidation of an independent Ukrainian Orthodoxy.

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