In the occupied city of Kharkiv region, a "battle priest" from Tatarstan appeared

This is reported by Kharkiv Anti-Corruption Center, according to KHARKIV Today.

According to KhAAC, Vitaly Belyaev previously served in the rapid response Battalion "Lynx" under the Department of internal affairs of Kazan and the battalion for the protection of government bodies under the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Tatarstan, was a police lieutenant.

Belyaev was called a participant in the fighting in Chechnya.

In 2012, Belyaev served as deputy head of the Kazan diocese's Department for cooperation with the Armed Forces. While in this position, he went to Chechnya on a business trip. For three years, Father Vitaly was engaged in the 26th special forces unit of the Internal Troops of the MIA of Russia.

In 2013, he took the so-called "young paratrooper course" at the Ryazan Higher Military Airborne School. There, Fr Vitaly was taught to jump with a parachute and conducted tactical, fire, airborne and drill training.

"Afterwards, Belyaev celebrates the Airborne Forces Day in camouflage over his cassock," KhACC notes. "In 2018, this "battle priest" was marked by a trip to Syria. Belyaev's entire Church career is connected with the Russian military and symbols of russian propaganda. It is not surprising that the invaders also used this element of propaganda in Ukraine."

Since 2014, Belyaev has been a teacher at the command tank school and initiated the installation of an Orthodox cross at the tank training ground.

The Kharkiv Anti-Corruption Center reminded that representatives of the UOC-MP cooperate with the Russian invaders. Metropolitan of Izyum and Kupyansk Elisey Ivanov blessed the collaborators, but he did not condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Priests of the UOC-MP take part in events in the occupied territories.