The Security Service, together with the National Police, collected evidence for the rector of the Ovruch-Korosten diocese of the UOC (MP), who incited religious hatred.
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According to the investigation, the cleric massively distributed pro-Kremlin leaflets and brochures among the priests and parishioners of the religious community of the Zhytomyr region.
In hostile “agitation papers”, their authors portrayed the war in Ukraine as an “internal civil conflict” and denied Russia’s armed aggression against Ukraine.
In addition, the texts of printed materials offended the religious feelings of Ukrainians, humiliated the views of believers of other faiths and formed hostile moods towards them.
It was established that the cleric was spreading hostile visuals at the direction of the Metropolitan, who had already been informed by the SBU of suspicion of crimes against Ukraine.
Security Service officers discovered pro-Russian campaign materials during security events in the spring of 2022 and searches on the territory of the local diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (MP) in June of this year.
The examinations carried out confirmed that the seized products contain provocative statements about priests, believers and supporters of other faiths.
Also, the content of some leaflets popularized the Kremlin’s “view” on the history of Ukrainian statehood.
On the basis of the collected evidence, the rector of the temple was informed of a suspicion under Part 2 of Art. 28 and part 2 of Art. 161 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (deliberate actions aimed at inciting ethnic and religious hatred, humiliation of national honor, dignity and image of the feelings of citizens in connection with their religious beliefs, committed by an official and by prior agreement by a group of persons).
Background
Since the beginning of the war, some priests of the Moscow Patriarchate do not hide their sympathy for the Russian invaders. Some of them openly support the occupying authorities and the regime of dictator Putin, and even agitate Ukrainians for them.
Others, like moles, secretly cooperate with the Kremlin regime, receiving a lot of money for this. We offer a selection of stories about priests-traitors.
In the Zhytomyr region, the Moscow priest called on parishioners to support the Russian occupiers and the actions of the aggressor state. Now he is facing trial. According to the investigation, the 64-year-old rector of the church of the Moscow Patriarchate in one of the villages of the Novograd-Volynsky district in March of this year, communicating with local residents, imposed his opinion on how the large-scale invasion of the Russian army into Ukraine should really be perceived.
Batiushka tried to convince people that the Russian authorities did not attack our state, but sent troops supposedly in order to liberate Ukrainians from the Nazis and Bandera and protect the Russian-speaking population of the fraternal people, – says Tatyana Gosha, a representative of the regional prosecutor’s office. – He claimed that it was not the Russian, but the Ukrainian army that was killing civilians and destroying their houses.
The peasants tried to catch the priest. When they failed, they turned to the police for help. The priest was accused of collaborationism. Proceedings were initiated against him under Part 1 of Article 111-1 of the Criminal Code. For public denial of armed aggression against Ukraine and calls for support for the decisions and actions of the aggressor state, he can be deprived of the right to hold certain positions or engage in certain activities for a period of 10 to 15 years.
And the Moscow priest from Dnepropetrovsk region faces 10 to 15 years of real imprisonment for cooperation with Russia.
He is accused of complicity in the planning, resolution and conduct of an aggressive war and actions aimed at inciting ethnic and religious hatred and anti-Semitism.
The 59-year-old abbot served in the church in the village of Bezborodkovo.
Starting from February 24 of this year, the priest, during divine services in front of his flock, supported the position of the Russian Patriarch Kirill and the actions of the occupation authorities, and also justified the military invasion of the aggressor in Ukraine and praised Putin, the regional prosecutor’s office notes.
During a search at the priest’s place of residence, symbols of the Russian Federation and campaigning cards were seized, which spoke of the “inevitability of war” and the victory of the aggressor country. Law enforcement officers suggest that the abbot distributed such provocative agitation to believers in the temple. During the pre-trial investigation, he is in custody in a pre-trial detention center.
The next story is about 53-year-old Father Onufriy from the Moscow Patriarchate Church of Kyiv, who was waiting for the occupation of the capital. In mid-March, he was detained by law enforcement officers. He kept weapons, explosives and symbols of the Russian Federation at home. By phone, from his Kremlin curators, the father received instructions, and also transmitted to the occupiers data on the movement of the Ukrainian military.
From the Russian number, he received messages about the time of the assault on Ukraine and the number of Muscovite troops attacking Kyiv. For work in favor of the occupants, the man received funds in Russian rubles. Now he faces up to 15 years in prison.
For the same period, he can send a resident of the village of Andreevka, Kyiv region, to jail. He was informed of the suspicion of collaborating with the enemy. As noted in the Office of the Prosecutor General, the attacker, who was previously prosecuted for corrupting minors, collaborated with the invaders during the Russian occupation of the village. He provided them with housing and food. He also informed the enemy about the place of residence of wealthy citizens, whose houses the military of the aggressor country then robbed.
In addition, the attacker presented himself as a monk, consecrated enemy equipment and performed the rites of baptism of the Russian military, law enforcement officers add. – The Russian military, whom he helped, smashed Andreevka to pieces.
Source: Racurs
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.