The security service documented the subversive activities of another rector of the UOC (MP) church in the Kharkiv region.
During the temporary occupation of the region, he supported the Russian invaders and “following his own example” called on other local residents to do the same. The following information has been revealed by the Security Service of Ukraine via their official social media handle.
However, when the counteroffensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine began in Kharkiv Oblast, the cleric, taking the property of the religious community, fled with the Russian troops.
Later, he and his family settled in the territory of the aggressor country.
Already from there, he recorded a video commentary in which he called the Russian aggression against Ukraine “the war of the whole world against the Russian peace.”
The pro-Kremlin party of Russia “United Russia” was among one of the first on posting this video on its own Telegram channel.
Later on, the “speech” of the cleric was “picked up” by other several propaganda media resources of the Russian Federation, including the central channels of “rosTV”.
The results of the examination initiated by the SBU confirmed the facts of the criminal activity of the representative of the UOC (MP).
On the basis of the collected evidence, the investigators of the Security Service notified the suspect of suspicion under Part 2 of Art. 436-2 of the Ukrainian Criminal Code (justification of armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine with using the mass media).
Since the perpetrator is hiding from justice on the territory of Russia, comprehensive measures are underway to bring him to justice for crimes against Ukraine.
Investigations and documentation were carried out by SBU employees in the Kharkiv region under the procedural guidance of the regional prosecutor’s office.