The Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) is conducting security measures on the grounds of the Koretsky Holy Trinity Monastery and the premises of the Sarny-Polissia Eparchy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Moscow Patriarchate (UOC MP) in Rivne Oblast.
It is reported that, as well as in Kyiv, these measures are carried out jointly with the National Police and the National Guards as part of the Security Service’s systematic efforts to counter the subversive activities of Russian secret services in Ukraine.
The motivation of the law enforcement officers is to prevent the use of religious communities as a hub for the "Russian world".
Ukraine’s Special Service is also inspecting whether the monasteries are hiding sabotage and reconnaissance groups, foreign citizens, and whether they are being used for storing weapons.
The goal is to protect citizens from provocations and terrorist attacks, as Ukraine’s Security Service emphasises.
All the aforementioned measures are carried out within the current legislation.
The SSU emphasises that its officers adhere to the principle of impartiality toward the activities of any religious denomination and respect the right of every citizen to freedom of worldview and religion, as defined by the Constitution of Ukraine.