The Security Service of Ukraine collected evidence of the anti-Ukrainian activities of a cleric from the Ovruch-Korosten Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) in the Zhytomyr region.

Source: Security Service of Ukraine (SSU), Jitomir County Prosecutor’s Office

Details: The investigation revealed that the priest, during Sunday’s service, spoke disrespectfully of Ukrainian national heroes in his sermon and instructed his parishioners to remain silent in response to the words “Glory to Ukraine”, as he did, for ideological reasons.

The next time, in July this year, while singing in church, he glorified the “Russian land”, called Russia “his motherland” and called people to pray for her.

The suspect also posted a video of his sermon on his social media account.

Later, in September 2024, the priest shared a video of a Russian propagandist, a former member of the pro-Russian political party Platform Opposition — For Life, accused of treason, who demanded the surrender of Ukraine. The video, among other things, called for strict respect for the Russian church and the Patriarch of Moscow and accused the Ukrainian authorities of starting the war.

The expertise initiated by the SSU confirmed the facts of the cleric’s intelligence and subversive activities in favor of Russia.

Under the procedural supervision of the Prosecutor’s Office of the Zhytomyr region, the priest was notified of the suspicion of justifying Russia’s armed aggression against Ukraine, which began in 2014, and of distributing materials containing the justification of Russia’s armed aggression against Ukraine, which was committed in repeatedly.

An exposition of a cleric belonging to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate

Photo: Security Service of Ukraine

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