The SSU has collected irrefutable evidence of the guilt of the former head of Kirovohrad Diocese of the moscow patriarchate’s Ukrainian Orthodox Church in subversive activities against Ukraine.

The clergyman was a member of moscow patriarch kirill’s inner circle, with whom he coordinated the spread of pro-kremlin views in the region.

To this end, the metropolitan was in constant contact with the head of the russian Orthodox Church and carried out his orders to justify russia’s aggression and the seizure of the Crimea.

Instructions from moscow came in the form of written circulars and during personal meetings in russia.

The investigation established that local churches handed out to people propaganda literature, printed in thousands of copies in the printing houses of the aggressor state.

In these books, russian ‘authors’ questioned Ukrainian statehood and praised the kremlin regime.

During the searches in the diocese, the law enforcement found a large number of enemy printed material and documents with evidence of correspondence with moscow ‘supervisors’.

According to the findings of an independent examination initiated by the SSU, the metropolitan’s criminal activity threatens the state security of Ukraine.

Given the evidence, the cleric was served a notice of suspicion under the Article 161.1 of the CCU (violation of equality of citizens based on their racial, national, regional affiliation, religious beliefs, disability and other grounds). The pre-trial investigation is ongoing.

The SSU Office in Kirovohrad Region exposed the unlawful activity with the procedural supervision of the Prosecutor’s Office.