14 Dec 2018 | 11:09 AM UTC
Ukraine: Protests possible amid religious meeting December 15
Protests against Ukraine’s split from the Russian Orthodox Church possible on December 15; associated disruptions expected
Event
Protests are possible on Saturday, December 15, as a meeting of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (UAOC)'s unification council is scheduled to take place in Kyiv to decide the establishment of the Autocephalous Orthodox Church. Local authorities have announced that pro-Russian militants could stage demonstrations in the capital Kyiv, Odessa, Kharkiv, Kherson, Mykolaiv, and Zaporizhia. Associated transportation disruptions, along with possible unrest, are likely.
Context
On October 11, the Ecumenical Patriarch approved Ukraine's request to form an independent church, thus splitting from the Russian Orthodox Church.
Both the Russian Orthodox Church and the Kiev Patriarchate, which has striven for an independent Ukrainian Church, are established in Ukraine. Since the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the escalation of conflict in the country's eastern regions, many in Ukraine consider the Russian Orthodox Church as a tool to spread the Kremlin's influence in the country.
Advice
Individuals in Ukraine are advised to avoid all protests as a precaution.
Due to the ongoing conflict, many Western governments advise against travel to Donetsk and Luhansk provinces, in particular, the cities of Mariupol, Donetsk, Makiyivka, Horlivka, Debaltseve, and Luhansk, as well as areas along the Russian border. The Ukrainian government has declared that foreigners entering Ukraine from Russia through rebel-controlled territory will not be allowed through any checkpoints into government-controlled territory.
