As reported by the ROC website, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) conducted a meeting of the Synod of the Moscow Patriarchate, during which he transferred the UOC-MP Diocese of Berdyansk to the occupied territory under his direct subordination.
This was stated on the ROC website, according to TSN.
"To accept the Diocese of Berdyansk into the direct canonical and administrative subordination of the Moscow Patriarch and the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church," the statement says.
It should be noted that although the UOC-MP is a component of the Russian Orthodox Church (UOC-MP hierarchs deny this), the leaders of the church-administrative units, the dioceses on the territory of Ukraine, were appointed by Onufriy and the Synod of the UOC-MP. Accordingly, Ukrainian dioceses were subordinate to Onufriy with the consent of Moscow
However, Kirill, bypassing Onufriy, took the Berdiansk Diocese under his direct subordination and appointed a new leader without the consent of the UOC-MP, who is expected to arrive from the distant Siberian city of Iskitim (Novosibirsk Oblast). There are already jokes circulating online about whether he will manage to reach Berdiansk amid rumors of an upcoming counter-offensive by the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Metropolitan Yefrem of the UOC-MP's Berdiansk Diocese has left the occupied territories and traveled abroad. According to information online, he did not want to cooperate with the Russians.