US TV channel designates Kyiv as Russian city during live broadcast

During a live broadcast of the Easter service of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine held in Kyiv, US-based TV channel Fox News mistakenly labeled the Ukrainian capital Kyiv as a Russian city. The error was corrected a few minutes into the broadcast.

Following that, the channel continued to air the Easter service from Moscow for about half an hour, featuring Patriarch Kirill, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Difference between Russian and Ukrainian Orthodox Churches

The Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) and the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) are two distinct entities within Eastern Orthodoxy, differing in both their ecclesiastical status and political alignment. The ROC, headquartered in Moscow and led by Patriarch Kirill, is one of the largest and most influential branches of Eastern Orthodoxy. It maintains close ties with the Russian state and has jurisdiction over churches in Russia and other countries, including parts of Ukraine prior to recent ecclesiastical changes.

The OCU was officially granted autocephaly (independence) by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople in January 2019, a move that was strongly opposed by the ROC. The decision followed decades of efforts by Ukrainian clerics and political leaders to establish a national church separate from Moscow. The OCU is currently led by Metropolitan Epiphanius and is recognized by several Orthodox Churches, though not all, due to ongoing disagreements over its legitimacy.

The division between the two churches reflects broader political and cultural tensions, especially since the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the ongoing war. The ROC views the creation of the OCU as a schism, while many in Ukraine see it as a step toward religious independence and national sovereignty. Despite the dispute, both churches continue to serve large communities of Orthodox believers, each with its own liturgical traditions and leadership structures