Since 2022, 208 criminal proceedings have been initiated against representatives of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC MP) based on materials from the Security Service for anti-Ukrainian activities and other crimes.
This was reported by the press service of the Security Service of Ukraine.
The investigation has implicated 27 senior church officials, including metropolitans and archbishops, who are suspected of collaborating with the Russian Federation.
According to the investigation, these clergymen allegedly carried out tasks for Russian intelligence services aimed at destabilizing Ukraine's socio-political situation. They reportedly used religious communities to recruit believers into the Russian intelligence apparatus, justify Russian war crimes, and advocate for the capture of Ukrainian territory.
For example, the rector of a UOC MP church in the Donetsk region has been charged with directing enemy fire at the Armed Forces and spreading false information about Ukrainian defenders. This individual is currently in custody.
Furthermore, joint investigations by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the National Police have revealed that some clergy members are involved in the corruption of minors, the distribution of child pornography, and the organization of evasion schemes. In total, 78 representatives of the UOC MP have been charged with crimes, and another 40 clergymen have received prison sentences. Notably, four archbishops, who lead dioceses in various regions of Ukraine, have been sentenced.
On the initiative of the SBU, Ukrainian citizenship has been revoked and temporary residence permits canceled for 19 UOC MP clergymen holding Russian passports. This includes Orest Berezovsky, the head of the UOC MP, whose citizenship was revoked.
The SBU has gathered information indicating that Onufriy Berezovsky is in contact with the Moscow Patriarchate and has actively opposed the canonical independence of the Ukrainian Church from it. Representatives of the Moscow Patriarchate have openly supported Russian aggression against Ukraine. Despite the ongoing invasion, Metropolitan Onufriy continues to endorse the policies of the Russian Orthodox Church and its leadership, including Patriarch Kirill Gundyaev.
Patriarch Kirill is also under investigation by the SBU. Reports indicate that he is part of the inner circle of Russia's military and political leadership and was among the first to publicly endorse a full-scale war against Ukraine. To spread propaganda, Kirill heavily relies on the Russian Orthodox Church's religious communities under his control, as well as UOC MP representatives in Ukraine, using their platforms to propagate Kremlin narratives during his sermons.
In addition to Kirill, 18 other senior clergy members of the Russian Orthodox Church are suspected of committing crimes against Ukraine.
Based on the materials provided by the SBU, the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine has imposed sanctions on 17 clergymen of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate and 23 leaders of the Russian Orthodox Church. The Security Service reiterates that it operates strictly within the framework of Ukraine's Constitution and current legislation, respecting the rights of every citizen to freedom of religion and worldview.