Ambassador Kyslytsya responds to Russia accusing Ukraine at UN of "persecuting Orthodoxy"

The Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the United Nations, Sergiy Kyslytsya, responded to the allegations voiced by the Russian delegation regarding the alleged persecution of Orthodoxy in Ukraine, reading out the address of the UOC Metropolitan Agafangel of Odesa regarding the strikes targeting the city.

This was reported by an Ukrinform correspondent in New York.

"A Russian missile following an instruction of the leadership of the Russian Federation hit the spiritual heart of the peace-loving city of Odesa – its Transfiguration Cathedral… Since February 24, 2022, Russia has launched a large-scale military aggression against our native Ukraine. People are dying, human blood is being shed, cities and villages, churches and monasteries are being destroyed. Whatever the goal of the so-called shameful ‘special military operation’ is, it cannot justify killing and violence, destruction and forced displacement. We still do not understand: who do they want to liberate us from? From life? It is a real genocide of the Ukrainian people… The country that considers itself an Orthodox cannot pay lip service to God’s law and at the same time do evil and darkness…’”

According to Kislytsya, this question is being asked by a person whom Moscow "had seemed to trust and listen to, based on the fact that (Russian President Volodymyr - ed.) Putin himself awarded Metropolitan Agafangel with the Order of Honor and the Order of Friendship some years ago."

Ukraine is interested in getting an answer to this question, which the Russian delegation has not yet provided, the permanent representative said.

Instead, the Russian delegation "persists in mocking the mandate and procedures" of the UN Security Council. Kislytsya once again repeated the question formulated by Agafangel: “Whom do you want to liberate us from? Why do you commit a genocide of the Ukrainian people? When will your government stop paying lip service to God’s law and doing evil and darkness?” 

As Ukrinform reported earlier, on Wednesday the UN Security Council, at Russia’s request, discussed the alleged persecution of Russian Orthodoxy in Ukraine, and at the request of Ukraine, the Council is considering the strikes on the historic center of Odesa and the city’s port infrastructure.