Employees of the Security Service of Ukraine searched the bishop of the Ternopil Diocese of the UOC of the Moscow Patriarchate, the rector of the Pochaiv Theological Seminary, Iov (Smakouza).
"Babel" was informed about this by sources in the law enforcement agencies.
The searches were carried out as part of criminal proceedings under the article on violation of the equality of citizens depending on their racial or national affiliation or religious beliefs (Part 2 of Article 161 of the Criminal Code).
As the source reported, "from the mastodon of Orthodoxy, who for years teaches and educates whole generations of clergymen of the Russian world," Russian literature glorifying imperialism was found, and the equipment was seized. He used all this to promote the values of the Russian Federation and anti-Ukrainian agitation.
- On November 25, the SBU searched the St. Nicholas Cathedral in Chernivtsi and found evidence of cooperation of the Chernivtsi-Bukovyna Diocese of the Moscow Patriarchate with the occupiers. Warehouses with pro-Kremlin literature, copies of documents of the occupiers, as well as correspondence with Moscow curators were found. Criminal proceedings have been initiated under the article on treason.
- Prior to this, the SBU conducted searches in three monasteries of the UOC MP, the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, the leadership of the dioceses of the Moscow Patriarchate in the Kirovohrad region, and the head of the Vinnytsia diocese (he was informed of the suspicion).
- Recently, the Security Service started criminal proceedings on the fact of the incident that happened on November 12 in one of the temples of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. Then, during the service in the church, they sang the song "The bell floats, floats over Russia, Mother Russia is waking up."