The Security Service of Ukraine (SSU), together with the National Police and voluntary formations of territorial communities, conducted an inspection on the territory of the Holy Intercession Cathedral in Boryspil, Kyiv region.
Investigative actions were carried out as part of the SSUʼs systematic work to counter the subversive activities of Russian special services in Ukraine.
Safety work is carried out in order to:
- prevent the use of the cathedral as a center of the "Russian peace";
- check data on the use of UOC premises for hiding citizens of the Russian Federation, storing prohibited items, etc.;
- to protect the population from provocations and terrorist acts.
At the end of November, the SSU conducted a number of searches in churches, monasteries and laurels of the UOC MP, in particular in Kyiv-Pechersk. The series of searches began after a scandal over a prayer service in the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, during which parishioners sang the song "The bell is ringing, itʼs ringing over Russia. Mother Russia is waking up." The priest was informed of suspicion for this.
Subsequently, the SSU conducted searches in monasteries in Transcarpathia, in the Mukachevo diocese, in the Ivano-Frankivsk diocese, in the Pochaiv seminary, and in the Ternopil diocese. During the searches, numerous evidences of pro-Russian propaganda and probable cooperation of representatives of the UOC-MP with Russia were found.
On December 1, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine instructed the government to submit to the Verkhovna Rada a draft law banning the activities of religious organizations affiliated with Russia in Ukraine. First of all, this will affect the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate.