SBU declared the suspicion to Russian priest who “blessed” war against Ukraine

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) declared the suspicion in absentia to Archpriest Dmitry Vasylenkov, deputy head of the ROC (Russian Orthodox Church) department that cooperates with the Russian Armed Forces.

The Ukrainian special services reported this in a telegram.

According to the investigation, this priest openly supports the Russian Federationʼs war against Ukraine and justifies the crimes of the Russian military.

In 2023, Moscow Patriarch Kirill appointed him "chief military priest", so he spreads Kremlin narratives among the Russian military and conducts special courses for other clerics.

Since 2014, Vasylenkov has visited the occupied territories of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, "blessed" the Russian military for the war, and involved priests of the UOC MP in justifying the occupation.

The SBU informed him in absentia of suspicion for war propaganda and justification of Russian aggression.

• As of October 2025, Ukraine has a law prohibiting the activities of religious organizations affiliated with the Russian Orthodox Church. The State Service for Ethnopolitics has filed a lawsuit in court to terminate the activities of the Kyiv Metropolis of the UOC MP, recognizing it as affiliated with ROC.
• At the same time, parishes are not closed automatically — communities can continue their activities if they legally sever ties with Moscow. Despite this, most UOC structures have not yet made such changes, and cases are recorded on the ground when new churches are being built under the guise of private construction.

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