Court upholds UOC Kyiv Metropolia's appeal in liquidation case

Court of Cassation. Photo: Wikipedia

On May 19, 2026, the Cassation Administrative Court heard the appeal of the Kyiv Metropolia of the UOC. Following the hearing, the appeal was granted in full, UOC attorney Archpriest Nikita Chekman reported.

To recall the essence of the case: in September 2025, DESS filed a lawsuit seeking the liquidation of the Kyiv Metropolia of the UOC. In response, the Kyiv Metropolia filed a counterclaim. One of its key demands is to have the actions of DESS head Viktor Yelensky declared unlawful and to overturn the order approving the religious studies expert assessment of the UOC Statute. The court of first instance separated the claims in the counterclaim – a decision the Kyiv Metropolia challenged in cassation. Today, that ruling was overturned.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that on April 6, 2026, the Sixth Administrative Court of Appeal had already declared the actions of the DESS head unlawful and overturned the agency’s order approving the religious studies expert assessment of the UOC Statute. The UOC Legal Department emphasized that the court recognized the expert assessment itself as “defective” – devoid of legal force.

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