Weapons, porn and state treason: SBU exposes 68 priests of the UOC-Moscow Orthodox Church (MP)

Since the beginning of the Russian Federation's full-scale aggression, the SBU has launched 68 criminal proceedings against representatives of the UOC-MP, 14 of whom are metropolitans of the church. This is reported by the SBU.

Among the exposed offences are 20 facts of state treason, collaborationism and complicity with the aggressor country. In addition, law enforcers are investigating 18 proceedings on public agitation of religious hatred, as well as the sale of firearms and distribution of child pornography.

As a result of operational and investigative actions, 26 defendants-representatives of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (MP) have been informed of suspicion, and 19 more attackers have already received court sentences," the SBU said in a statement.

Two convicted collaborationist clerics managed to be exchanged for Ukrainian soldiers who were in Russian captivity.

It is reported that we are talking about the rector of the Holy Tikhvin church of the Severodonetsk diocese of the UOC (MP), who in April 2022 "surrendered" to the Russian occupiers participants of the resistance movement on the territory of the community. The court sentenced him to 12 years of imprisonment. Later he, together with the captured Russian military, managed to exchange him for 63 Ukrainian defenders.

SBU officers also detained a cleric of the Gorlovka diocese of the UOC-MP who, after the seizure of Liman, organised a meeting of community residents to "elect" the leadership of the local occupation administration. According to the SBU materials, he received 7 years in prison, and then he was exchanged for Ukrainian defenders who fell into Russian captivity.

In addition, the manager of the Tulchyn diocese of the UOC (MP) in Vinnytsia region was sentenced to 5 years in prison. The attacker propagandised armed aggression of the Russian Federation among parishioners and justified the temporary occupation of part of the territory of Ukraine.

At the same time, on the initiative of the SBU , Ukrainian citizenship was terminated for 19 representatives of the UOC-MP who hold Russian passports and spread pro-Kremlin narratives about the war in Ukraine. Among them are metropolitans from Kiev, Dnipropetrovsk and Odessa regions, as well as from temporarily occupied Crimea," the SBU said.

The SBU stressed that no enemy henchman and criminal element would be able to hide behind the cassock from justice for crimes against Ukraine.