There were three candidates to be the head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church:
Ukrainian police say some 35,000 people came to St. Sophia's to stand outside and await the announcement of the formation of the united Ukrainian Orthodox Church:
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has invited the newly slected head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Epifaniy, to come to Istanbul to receive the "tomos" on January 6.
Jailed Ukrainian filmmaker Oleh Sentsov gets a tribute at the EuroFilm Awards tonight:
Former world chess champion and Kremlin critic Garry Kasparov speaking in an interview on December 14 with Mikhail Sokolov of RFE/RL's Russian Service in Vilnius. Note last two comments about Ukraine.
"The main problem of the Kremlin is not connected to the ability or inability to control the processes inside the country, but the fact that the regime began to rapidly lose international status. Again, sooner or later it had to happen, because this aggressive policy of the Kremlin, it had to convince the free world that it was pointless to negotiate with [Russian President Vladimir] Putin."
"Actually, [Putin] now has achieved what the Russian opposition could not achieve in many years. He convinced the free world that he is the enemy who must be fought."
"It is clear that the tool kit that is used by the free world in this fight is different from Putin's. And yet, we see how gradually and steadily this machine spins up in defense of the free world from [Russian] attacks on [its] internal structure."
"In fact, Ukraine’s withdrawal from the [Russian Orthodox] Church space means breaking up these cultural ties that have linked Russia and Ukraine for so long, and practically nullifies the Kremlin's ability to influence the social and cultural life of Ukraine through the [Russian Orthodox] Church's institutions."
"We will inevitably witness how Russia will have to, how the future Russia will have to pay for all of Putin's adventures, no matter whether in Syria, in Ukraine. Just as nations have always paid for the crimes of their dictators."
More from Poroshenko after the formation of the new Ukrainian Orthodox Church:
"Today a new united and independent Ukrainian Orthodox Church was born. What is this church? This is a church without [Russian President Vladimir] Putin. What is this church? This church is without [Russian Orthodox Patriarch] Kirill. What is this church? This is a church without prayers for the Russian authorities and Russian troops, because they kill Ukrainians. But this is a church with God and Ukraine!"
From the RFE/RL news desk:
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko speaking on December 15 in an address at St. Sophia's Cathedral in Kyiv, where a historic council was held to form a new, unified, independent Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
"The issue of autocephaly is a matter of Ukrainian national security. This is a question of our Ukrainian statehood."
"We finally obtain spiritual independence that can be compared with gaining political independence."
"I emphasize: Ukraine was not, is not, and will not be the Russian [Orthodox] Church's canonical territory."
"I thank all those who gathered today on the square in front of the [St. Sophia] Cathedral. They gathered at 8 a.m. and waited for hours and hours in the cold weather. They are not just observers, they are also creators of our new church."
From the RFE/RL news desk:
A Ukrainian air force pilot was killed when his fighter jet crashed during a landing attempt on December 15, the country’s military announced.
The Ukrainian General Staff said the Sukhoi Su-27 went down while returning from a routine flight to its base in the northern region of Zhytomyr.
An investigation into the crash is under way.
Su-27 fighter jets were designed by the Soviet Union and continue to be built by Russia.
Depending on the model, they carry either one or two pilots. It was not immediately clear what model was involved in the December 15 crash.
Ukraine lost a two-seat Su-27 in October during exercises with the U.S. Air National Guard. An American pilot, riding in the second seat, died along with his Ukrainian co-pilot.