Ukraine will move to impose limitations on religious organizations in the country which have links to Russia, Volodymyr Zelensky said in his nightly address, writes lemonde.fr.

“The National security and defense council has instructed the government to propose to (parliament) a bill on proscribing activities in Ukraine by religious organizations affiliated with centers of influence in Russia. National security officials should intensify measures to identify and counteract the subversive activities of the Russian special services in the religious space in Ukraine”, - said the President of Ukraine.

Ukraine had been under Moscow’s spiritual leadership since at least the 17th century, but part of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church broke with Moscow in 2019 over Russia’s annexation of Crimea and support for separatists in Donbas. In May, the war caused the Moscow-backed branch of Ukraine’s Orthodox Church to sever ties with Russia, in a historic move against the Russian spiritual authorities..