The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) suspects three clerics of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC MP) of justifying Russiaʼs armed aggression against Ukraine.
This was reported by the press service of SBU.
According to the investigation, during sermons and conversations with parishioners, the suspects justified Russian crimes and called for support for Russia.
Thus, in the Kyiv region, the head of one of the religious communities of the UOC MP of the Fastiv district was detained. SBU says that in conversations with parishioners he glorified the Russian army and hoped for the occupation of the Kyiv region.
According to the investigation, the suspected priest spread fake news about the Defense Forces and denied Russian airstrikes on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure. He lived in the Luhansk region for a long time, but after the start of the full-scale war, he moved to the Kyiv region and headed one of the local parishes.
A church rector and a monk of a UOC MP monastery have been detained in the Cherkasy region. The investigation accuses them of praising Russian leader Vladimir Putin and the Russian army, and also claims that they hoped for the occupation of the region by Russians.
SBU recorded that the head of the church regularly sent messages to parishionersʼ messengers in support of the occupation of the eastern regions of Ukraine.
Forensic linguistic examinations have confirmed the clericsʼ informational and subversive activities in favour of Russia. SBU claims that during searches, pro-Kremlin literature and mobile phones with evidence of the spread of Russian propaganda were found in their possession.
Now the detainees have been informed of the justification of the armed aggression of the Russian Federation. They face up to eight years in prison with confiscation of property.
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