Former Director of “Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra” Ostapenko Did Not Clean the Reserve From the Influence of the Russian Federation — Minister of Culture

Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications Nikolai Tochitsky said that Ostapenko did not show sufficient initiative in the process of cleansing the Lavra from the influence of the Russian Orthodox Church, so his dismissal is logical

Ukraine has given religious organizations nine months to sever ties with the Russian Orthodox Church and join the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. The deadline expired on May 20, and those who failed to comply face serious legal consequences. This is another step in the process of the Ukrainian church moving away from Moscow's influence, which has accelerated since Russia's aggression against Ukraine.

According to the Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications, despite assistance from the ICRC for the transfer of temples to the OCU, the result of Maxim Ostapenko's year of work “is not adequate to the national security challenges faced by Ukrainian society”.