Ukraine Orthodox council creates church independent from Russia: Poroshenko

Kiev (AFP) – A historic council of Orthodox bishops in Kiev created a Ukrainian church independent from Russia, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko announced on Saturday.   

“It happened,” Poroshenko told a crowd awaiting the council’s decision in central Kiev. 

“This day will go down in history as the sacred day of the creation of the autocephalous local Orthodox Church of Ukraine. The day we finally receive our independence from Russia.”