SBU announces suspicion in absentia to Patriarch Kirill
The special service emphasized that Kirill uses representatives of the UOC (MP) in Ukraine to spread propaganda
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has served Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and the entire movement with a notice of suspicion in absentia.
He is suspected of three articles: encroachment on the territorial integrity and inviolability of Ukraine, justification of Russia's armed aggression against Ukraine, and the outbreak and conduct of an aggressive war.
The investigation claims that the patriarch "is a member of the inner circle of Russia's top military and political leadership and was one of the first to publicly support a full-scale war against Ukraine."
The SBU noted that together with the Prosecutor General's Office, they had collected evidence against the head of the Russian Orthodox Church. The press release also states that Patriarch Kirill "uses the religious communities of the Russian Orthodox Church under his control in Russia, as well as representatives of the UOC (MP) in Ukraine" to spread propaganda.
The SBU report says that in March 2022, the ROC website published a story about a liturgy during which the patriarch blessed Russian Guard Commander Viktor Zolotov for the war against Ukraine.
The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church has repeatedly supported Russian aggression in Ukraine and even gave a 20-minute lecture via video link to Pope Francis, after which the head of the Catholic Church urged Kirill not to stoop to the level of "Putin's altar boy."
After the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Patriarch Kirill celebrated a liturgy in the main church of the Russian Defense Ministry, spoke about the ongoing "metaphysical struggle" in Donbas and accused the Ukrainian authorities of encouraging a church split. He also claimed that Russia had never attacked anyone in its history.
The patriarch is on the sanctions lists of the United Kingdom, Canada, and the Czech Republic. Estonia and Lithuania have banned him from entering the country.
If you have read this article to the end, we hope that means it was useful for you.
We work to ensure that our journalistic and analytical work is of high quality, and we strive to perform it as competently as possible. This also requires financial independence. Support us for only UAH 196 per month.
Become a Mind subscriber for just USD 5 per month and support the development of independent business journalism!
You can unsubscribe at any time in your LIQPAY account or by sending us an email: [email protected]
