SBU raids more facilities of Moscow-backed Orthodox Church in three regions

Police and SBU officers entering a Moscow Patriarchate church. Photo: SBU

2022/12/07 - 12:03 • Ukraine

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) reports that its employees are conducting “counter-intelligence (security) measures” at the facilities of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC-MP) in Cherkasy, Volyn, and Kherson oblasts.

The security agency says that those measures are inspections of the premises and buildings with the direct participation of representatives of the church “to identify persons who may be involved in illegal activities to the detriment of the state sovereignty of Ukraine, and objects prohibited from circulation.”

Previous searches at UOC-MP’s other facilities revealed anti-Ukrainian print materials, Russian propaganda manuals, pro-Kremlin literature.

Ukraine sanctions clergymen of Moscow-backed Orthodox Church, one bishop under investigation

According to SBU, the measures are carried out “jointly with the National Police and the National Guard – within the framework of the Security Service of Ukraine’s systematic work to counter the subversive activities of the Russian special services in our country.”

“Taking into account the armed aggression of the Russian Federation, these measures are carried out, among other things, to prevent the use of religious communities as centers of the ‘Russian world’ and to protect the population from provocations and terrorist acts,” SBU wrote.

Brochures of xenophobic content found in Moscow-affiliated church in west of Ukraine

Ukraine's Security Service found propaganda materials denying the existence of Ukraine in facilities of the Moscow-affiliated church in Ternopil Oblast & Prykarpattia https://t.co/FncJAY0hDX pic.twitter.com/a6h3OlpAUP

— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) November 28, 2022

The raided facilities are:

Holy Cross Monastery in Stariy Chartoryisk, Volyn Oblast;
St Nicholas Monastery of Volodymyr-Volynskyi diocese of the UOC-MP in Myltsy, Volyn Oblast;
Dormition Cathedral in Kherson;
Office of the Cherkasy diocese of the UOC;
St. Michael’s Cathedral in Cherkasy;
Sunday school and library of the Cherkasy diocese of the UOC;
Office of the Uman-Zvenihorod diocese in Uman, Cherkasy Oblast;
Church of St. Andrew the First-Called in Cherkasy;
Holy Trinity Motronynske convent in Cherkasy Oblast;
Krasnohirsk Holy Intercession Convent in Zolotonosha district, Cherkasy Oblast;
Cherkasy-based religious society Parish of St. Sophronius Bishop of Irkutsk;
Kaniv Assumption Cathedral in Cherkasy Oblast.

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