The Ukrainian government has declared that a branch of the Orthodox Church has failed to sever all ties with Moscow — and could soon be banned. The Ukrainian Orthodox Church disputes the government’s assertion that it has not fully broken off its historic relationship with the Russian Orthodox Church. The looming ban would affect one of two rival branches of Orthodoxy in Ukraine, underscoring the turbulent role of religion as Ukraine fends off the Russian invasion. Orthodoxy is the majority religion in both Russia and Ukraine and has served as a cultural and spiritual battleground in tandem with the wider war.