The Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) made the decision on Monday to elect its new leader on August 13.

"The Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church met on July 7 under the chairmanship of the Locum Tenens of the Metropolitan Office, Metropolitan Onufriy of Chernivtsi and Bukovyna, and made the decision to call the Ukrainian Orthodox Church's Bishops Assembly in Kyiv on August 13 2014," the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) said on its website.

Speaker of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) Archpriest Georgy (Kovalenko) said this process does not involve canvassing or polls. "Election of the Primate does not involve an election campaign, canvassing, debates, presentations, or polls. Therefore, we hope the bishops, clergy and the flock will refrain from making forecasts, or commentaries," Archpriest Georgy wrote on Facebook on Monday.

Leader of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) Metropolitan Volodymyr (Sabodan) of Kyiv and All Ukraine died on July 5. He was leader of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Moscow Patriarchate from 1992 to 2014.

On February 24, 2014, Metropolitan Onufriy (Berezovsky) of Chernivtsi and Bukovyna was elected Locum Tenens of the Kyiv Metropolitan Office.