A Ukrainian archbishop on Monday denounced Russian President Vladimir Putin as the "anti-Christ of our current time," following his country's invasion of Ukraine.

Yevstratiy Zoria, archbishop and spokesperson for the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, told the BBC's "Global News Podcast" that despite his attempts to portray himself as a savior, "Putin is really not messiah [sic], but really anti-Christ of our current time."

Harry Farley, the BBC's religion and ethics producer, asked Zoria, "you think he's the anti-Christ of your time?"

The archbishop said, "Yes, he is anti-Christ because everything what he does [sic], everything what he do now, is totally against gospel, against God's law."

Fox News did not receive a response from the Ukrainian Orthodox Church following a request for comment. The network notes that most Ukrainians identify as Eastern Orthodox Christian, though there is a divide between the Orthodox Church of Ukraine in Kyiv, which Zoria represents, and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which is connected to the Orthodox patriarch of Moscow.

The Orthodox Church of Ukraine's leader, Metropolitan Epifany, told the Associated Press that "With prayer [sic] on our lips, with love for God, for Ukraine, for our neighbors, we fight against evil - and we will see victory."

The head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Onufry, said in a statement: "Forget mutual quarrels and misunderstandings and ... unite with love for God and our Motherland."

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