On March 11, 2026, a delegation of the Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations (UCCRO) met in London with Rebecca Smith, a Conservative Member of Parliament in the House of Commons, who represents the cross-party parliamentary group “Christians in Parliament.”

During the meeting, representatives of UCCRO informed Ms. Smith about the state of freedom of religion in Ukraine and about religious persecution in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. In particular, the Ukrainian delegation spoke about crimes against humanity committed by the Russian occupation authorities in the religious sphere, including the unlawful arrests of clergy and members of religious communities; the torture and killing of ministers of various denominations; the destruction and damage of churches and religious premises; the seizure and closure of religious buildings and places of worship and their use for military and administrative purposes; the abduction of Ukrainian children; and other violations.

The representatives of UCCRO also drew special attention to the hateful ideology of the “Russkiy Mir” (“Russian World”), which is promoted by the Russian Orthodox Church, as well as to the active support for Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine expressed by Russian religious leaders of various denominations. By supporting the war, these religious leaders become accomplices to the crimes against humanity that the Russian Federation is committing against Ukrainians.

As a result of the meeting, the parties agreed to maintain further communication and exchange information.

“Christians in Parliament” is a cross-party parliamentary group that brings together members of both Houses of the UK Parliament and exists to support its members and staff in their work within Parliament.

Following the meeting at Parliament, the UCCRO representatives visited the Ukrainian Support Centre and the Cathedral of the Holy Family of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in London.

The UCCRO delegation participating in the visit to London includes: Metropolitan Yevstratiy (Zoria) of Bila Tserkva, spokesperson of the Kyiv Metropolis of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine; Bishop Kenneth Nowakowski, head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Eparchy of the Holy Family in London; Bishop Vitalii Kryvytskyi, Roman Catholic Church, Ordinary of the Kyiv-Zhytomyr Diocese; Pastor Igor Bandura, Vice-President of the All-Ukrainian Union of Churches of Evangelical Christians-Baptists; Pastor Anatoliy Raichynets, Deputy Secretary General of the Ukrainian Bible Society; Hennadii Biloritskyi, Legal Advisor to the Chief Rabbi of Kyiv and Ukraine (UOJC); Oleksandr Zaiets, Chairman of the Board of the Institute for Religious Freedom.