Ukraine has chosen the leader of a new national church, marking an historic split from Russia.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko says Metropolitan Epifaniy, of the Kiev Patriarchate church, has been chosen as head of the new church.
"This day will go into history as a sacred day ... the day of the final independence from Russia," Poroshenko told thousands of supporters who shouted "glory, glory, glory" on Saturday.
Relations between Ukraine and Russia collapsed following Moscow's seizure of Crimea in 2014.
Ukraine imposed martial law in November, citing the threat of a full-scale invasion after Russia captured three of its vessels in the Kerch Strait.
The Ukrainian Orthodox church has been beholden to Moscow for hundreds of years, and Ukraine's leaders see church independence as vital to tackling Russian meddling.
Kiev says Moscow-backed churches on its soil are a Kremlin tool to spread propaganda and support fighters in the Donbass region in a conflict that has killed more than 10,000 people.
The churches strongly deny this.
Australian Associated Press
