The Ukrainian parliament has approved sanctions against the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, and his associates over their support of Russia's aggression against Ukraine.
Ukrainian lawmaker Oleksiy Honcharenko wrote on Facebook that the Verkhovna Rada voted for the move against the Russian Orthodox Church leadership on May 31.
According to Honcharenko, the sanctions will be imposed for 10 years and include the freezing of bank accounts and limitations on trade operations.
They also will bar the use of Ukrainian radio frequencies for broadcasting sermons, limit withdrawals from automatic teller machines, suspend cultural and scholarly exchanges, and cancel official visits.
Supporters of the sanctions said they were justified because of the ongoing support publicly expressed by Patriarch Kirill and his associates for Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine that was launched on February 24.
