Bulgarian Patriarch Daniil and Metropolitan Gavriil of Lovech have issued statements in support of the Kyiv Metropolis of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) as court proceedings continue over the possible cancellation of its state registration in Ukraine.

According to Archpriest Nikita Chekman, legal counsel for the Kyiv Metropolis, the letters were submitted to the Sixth Administrative Court of Appeal in Kyiv, which is hearing a lawsuit filed by Ukraine's State Service for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience. Copies were also delivered to the leadership of the Kyiv Metropolis.

In his message to Metropolitan Onufriy, the head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Daniil expressed concern over the prospect of the Kyiv Metropolis losing its legal registration. He said such a move could affect the religious rights of millions of believers and represent interference in the internal affairs of the Church.

The Bulgarian patriarch reaffirmed his support for the UOC's right to freedom of religion and to retain its legal status. He added that this position is consistent with the approach taken by his predecessors, Patriarchs Maxim and Neofit.

In a separate letter addressed to the Ukrainian court, Metropolitan Gavriil urged the judges to reach an impartial decision. He said the outcome of the case could have implications not only for Ukraine but also for the wider Orthodox Christian world.

The metropolitan also cited remarks by the late Patriarch Neofit, who described the Ukrainian Orthodox Church as the canonical Orthodox Church in Ukraine and warned that actions against it could have serious consequences.

The legal proceedings over the possible dissolution of the Kyiv Metropolis's state registration have been ongoing since September 2025. Representatives of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church are contesting the claims brought by the State Service for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience and have previously succeeded in overturning several procedural decisions in the case.