Russian Orthodox Church leader Selensky is removed from his position as head at the largest Christian church within the country at 5:05 p.m.
In a move aimed at protecting the state from Russian aggression, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has stripped the head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Onufrij (Orest Berezovsky), of his Ukrainian citizenship. The decision, made by presidential decree, follows allegations that Onufriy has maintained ties with the Moscow Patriarchate and opposed the Ukrainian Orthodox Church’s independence from Moscow.
According to evidence collected by Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU), Onufriy voluntarily acquired Russian citizenship in 2002 but failed to inform Ukrainian authorities, contravening legal requirements. Despite this, he continued to use his Ukrainian citizenship rights. The SBU also states that Onufriy has actively opposed the Ukrainian Orthodox Church’s canonical independence from Moscow and has supported the policies of the Russian Orthodox Church and its leader, Patriarch Kirill, who publicly blessed the Russian invasion of Ukraine and promotes propaganda justifying and inciting genocide against Ukrainians.
The revocation of Onufriy’s citizenship is part of Ukraine’s ongoing efforts to protect its sovereignty amidst the ongoing conflict with Russia. However, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church has yet to issue a public response regarding these allegations or the citizenship revocation.
Meanwhile, on the military front, Ukrainian jets have destroyed over 600 targets in June, including command posts, logistics facilities, and locations where enemy troops and equipment were concentrated. Ukrainian air defense systems have also destroyed 4,750 targets, including various types of Russian drones and missiles. One person was killed and another injured in a Russian drone strike in the Ukrainian region of Kharkiv.
In other news, two men are facing trial in Hamburg for allegedly facilitating the delivery of gas turbines to the Russian-annexed Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea despite an embargo. The Russian-made "Oreshnik" missile system will be stationed in Belarus by the end of 2025, while the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is investigating a suspected drone attack near the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
Diplomatically, the German government has accused the Turkey-registered media platform "Red." of having ties to Russia. The former State Secretary Heiko Thoms is set to become the new German ambassador to Ukraine, while Russian President Vladimir Putin will receive Kyrgyz President Sadyr Djarimbetov at the Kremlin for discussions on Russian-Kyrgyz relations.
In a positive development, Putin has signed a decree providing additional guarantees for the rights of foreign investors in Russia. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has pardoned 16 prisoners, including those accused of "extremism". The Ukrainian army claims it has hit an oil refinery in the Russian region of Saratov, used by Moscow to supply Russian units fighting against Ukraine with fuel and lubricants.
This case reflects the tense intersection of religion, citizenship, and geopolitics amid ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia. As developments continue to unfold, the international community will be watching closely to see how this situation evolves.
- The revocation of Onufriy's Ukrainian citizenship, due to allegations of undisclosed Russian citizenship and political ties with the Moscow Patriarchate, is a significant move within the realm of policy-and-legislation, politics, and general-news, reflecting Ukraine's efforts to protect its sovereignty in the face of war-and-conflicts with Russia.
- The ongoing criminal trial in Hamburg involving two men accused of delivering gas turbines to Crimea, despite an embargo, highlights the complexities of crime-and-justice issues in the context of political relations and war-and-conflicts.
- The International Atomic Energy Agency's investigation into a suspected drone attack near the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant underscores the potential for war-and-conflicts to impact policy-and-legislation, especially in the realm of crime-and-justice and general-news.
