The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has declared the suspicion of the Metropolitan of the Svyatohirsk Lavra for allegedly disclosing the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to the enemy.
This was reported by the SBU's press service.
According to the investigation, during his Liturgy, the cleric disclosed the locations of Ukrainian military checkpoints to the occupiers. This was done through a video recording where the Metropolitan of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) named the addresses of the checkpoints to parishioners. The video was later published on Lavra's website and in a local Telegram channel group.
The cleric's actions were an attempt to covertly provide information about the locations of Ukrainian checkpoints to the aggressor in the frontline area.
The investigation also revealed that the Metropolitan had expressed pro-Kremlin narratives regarding the war in Ukraine even before the full-scale invasion of Russia. This was evident from several interviews where he referred to Russia's armed aggression as a "civil conflict."
Based on the evidence gathered, the Security Service has notified the Metropolitan of suspicion under Part 2 of Article 114-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (dissemination of information about the movement or location of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, if possible, with their identification on the ground).
Currently, the issue of choosing a preventive measure is being resolved, and an investigation is ongoing to establish all the circumstances of the crime. The Metropolitan faces up to 8 years of imprisonment.
The comprehensive measures were carried out by SBU employees in Donetsk and Luhansk regions under the procedural guidance of the Donetsk Regional Prosecutor's Office.