The counterintelligence unit of the Security Service has detained the rector of one of the churches in the Sumy Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate). It was discovered that he was acting as a spotter for Russian military intelligence (GRU). During searches of the protopriest's home, authorities found pro-Kremlin literature and a smartphone containing evidence of his collaboration with the enemy.
The investigation revealed that the cleric tracked the locations of combat units and fortifications of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and reported this information to the Russians. The enemy was particularly interested in the coordinates of military headquarters and fortified areas in the border region, according to a report from the SBU on September 12.
The occupiers planned to target these positions of the Ukrainian troops to create a "dead zone" along the border, allowing Russian diversion reconnaissance groups (DRGs) to infiltrate deep into the Sumy region and establish their positions prior to the arrival of larger enemy forces.
According to the case file, the enemy contacted the priest remotely via the Internet.
To gather intelligence, the cleric covertly solicited information from parishioners and subsequently traveled to the area to assess military facilities firsthand.
After identifying potential targets, the Russian informant communicated with his handler through voice and text messages using a messaging app.
SBU officers took proactive measures to secure the positions of the Defense Forces and arrested the suspect at his home.
The investigators from the Security Service of Ukraine informed the cleric of his charges under Part 2 of Article 114-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which pertains to the dissemination of information regarding the movement or location of the Armed Forces of Ukraine or other military formations established in accordance with Ukrainian law.
The cleric is currently in custody and faces a potential sentence of up to 8 years in prison. As RISU previously reported, since the onset of the full-scale war, the Security Service of Ukraine has opened 180 cases against UOC MP priests, including 23 bishops. These criminal cases are being investigated on grounds of collaborationism and illegal activities.