On June 17, 2022, in Khmelnitsky, deputies of the city council during an extraordinary session supported an appeal to the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on “accelerating the consideration of a bill to ban the activities of churches and other religious organizations that are subordinate to the Moscow Patriarchate and pose a threat to the national security of Ukraine “. It is reported by RISU.

Mayor Alexander Simchishin, commenting on the appeal, noted that in order for the ban to have legal force, so far “we have found a solution in this format: to accept the appeal to those highest authorities who can really do it.”

Also, in order to “stimulate the process of disconnecting our religious communities from the Russian Orthodox Church”, the city council’s land resources department was instructed to prepare a draft decision on the termination of the right to use land plots by “hostile religious organizations”. We are talking about sites that were provided for the construction and maintenance of religious and other buildings on the territory of the Khmelnitsky territorial community.

“After the right to permanent use of these sites is terminated, we will be able to transfer them to those religious communities that pray in Ukrainian for the Ukrainian victory. This will simplify the process of transition to the Ukrainian church,” Simchyshyn said.

According to Alexander Simchishin, more than 90 percent of the UOC churches are located on the lands of the society, which were allocated to them on the basis of permanent use.