The Russian Orthodox Church paid the Patriarchate of Antioch to oppose the Tomos of the OCU - mass media

Gazeta.ua has reported this citing Liga.net.

In 2018, the highest ministers of the Russian Orthodox Church provided payment to the Patriarch of Antioch to oppose granting the Tomos of Autocephaly to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. The actions were controlled by FSB agents and Patriarch Kirill of Moscow.

The money was carried by the Russian bishop Flavian (Maxim Mitrofanov), who later was exiled because of his refusal to cooperate with the FSB. In December 2019, the bishop's apartment was raided. While according to him the operatives were looking for drugs, the FSB operative lieutenant Krasavin "ran away for drinks," according to the investigation of the league publication about the activities of the Russian Orthodox church.

"Literally, he got me drunk. And he said that I was on watch since 2007. That they need information about my connections. After working in London, I have a lot of friends who work for the UN, are part of the circle of some Russian oligarchs," Flavian said.

He consulted with lawyers and refused to work with an organization "whose hands are covered up to the elbows in the blood of Russian priests and people." Flavian was at the top of the church hierarchy. In March last year, Kremlin-controlled media published news that a drug lab was found in the apartment of the bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church.

"The image of the apostate was fixed with additional sins – allegedly Flavian had an affair with an ex-employee of a gay escort. After another search in December 2020, the hierarch left for London. He is confident he suffered from secretive agencies for refusing to cooperate with the FSB. The Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church tried him in absentia and stripped him of his rank," the publication says.