Based on the collected evidence, the SBU reported suspicion under Part 1 of Art. 111-2 of the Criminal Code (aiding the aggressor state) to Archpriest Dmitry Krotkov, the head of the military department of the “Crimean Metropolis” of the Russian Orthodox Church, promoting the armed aggression of the Russian Federation.
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The secret service press center reported this today, December 21.
According to the investigation, Krotkov:
- while on the temporarily occupied peninsula, he organized a fundraiser for the needs of the occupation groups fighting against the Ukrainian Defense Forces. “Charitable contributions” go to the accounts of the so-called “special humanitarian center” of the local community of the Russian Orthodox Church, headed by Krotkov;
- The defendant uses the money received in this way for the wholesale purchase of attack drones, thermal imagers, portable radios and anti-drone guns;
- Krotkov personally delivered the purchased products to units of Russian troops stationed on the front line in the Kherson, Zaporozhye and Donetsk regions;
- also, while on the front line, he, together with other clergy of the Russian Orthodox Church, blessed the military equipment of the occupiers and “blessed” them to kill Ukrainians;
- in June of this year, after the explosion of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station by the Russians, Krotkov came to the affected areas of the left bank of the Kherson region, where he “preached” the Kremlin narratives about the “causes” of the emergency and thereby tried to artificially discredit the Ukrainian defenders.
Due to his public activity in favor of the aggressor country, Krotkov is a frequent guest on the television broadcasts of the Russian propagandist Solovyov, the SBU notes.
In addition, according to the investigation, Krotkov, while still the rector of the UOC-MP church in Simferopol, supported the Russian invaders during the seizure of Crimea and, together with the occupiers, tried to block the coastal defense brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the village of Perevalnoye.
According to investigators, the cleric used a loudspeaker to call on the Ukrainian defenders to surrender and go over to the side of the enemy. For this, he received a “position” in the so-called Crimean Metropolis of the Russian Orthodox Church, the SBU notes.
Currently, the attacker is hiding in the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine, and comprehensive measures are ongoing to bring him to justice.
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.