Ukraine recognises same-sex marriage for first time between two men PHOTO

Ukraine’s Supreme Court has officially recognised the marital relationship between two men, LGBT activists Zoryan Kis and Tymur Levchuk, the organisation Insight LGBTQ reports. This marks the first case of its kind in the country.

Kis and Levchuk have lived together since 2013. They held a wedding ceremony in Ukraine in 2016 and were legally married in the United States in 2021.

In 2024, Kis was appointed First Secretary at Ukraine’s embassy in Israel and planned to move to Tel Aviv with Levchuk as a family member.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry initially denied this, citing that “Ukrainian law defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman.” Kis appealed the decision to the Supreme Court.

In June 2025, a Kyiv court recognised Kis and Levchuk as being in a de facto marital relationship. The conservative movement “All Together” later filed an appeal with the Supreme Court, but the court ruled the organisation could not demand a case review, as it had not participated in the proceedings and had no direct standing.

“This is a monumental precedent. No homophobic or conservative group can use the courts to target or overturn decisions supporting LGBTQ+ people under the guise of ‘public morality.’ The state has protected the boundaries of private life,” Insight LGBTQ noted.

By Jeyhun Aghazada