The SSU has collected a large evidence base on four high-ranking russian clerics who spread the kremlin regime in the temporarily occupied part of Ukraine.

All of them are members of the holy synod of the russian orthodox church. These are:

• head of the St. Petersburg Metropolis – metropolitan Varsonofy (Anatoly Sudakov);
• head of the department for external church relations of the russian orthodox church – metropolitan Anthony (Anton Sevryuk);
• head of Kolomna diocese and patriarchal vicar of the moscow metropolis, metropolitan Krutitsky (Georgy Ponomarev);
• chancellor of the moscow patriarchate, metropolitan Dionysius (Peter Porubai).

According to the investigation, in 2022-2023 they facilitated the seizure of property of Ukrainian churches on the left bank of Kherson region, as well as in the Crimea and the temporarily occupied districts of Zaporizhzhia and Luhansk regions.

For this purpose, these clergymen, under the leadership of patriarch Gundyaev, secured a decision of the russian synod to ‘join’ Ukrainian religious communities to the russian orthodox church.

In this way, the russian clerics seized churches, church buildings and land in the dioceses of Dzhankoy, Berdiansk, Rovenky and Kherson and appointed bishops controlled by moscow.

Subsequently, the proxies of the aggressor state imposed kremlin narratives on the believers, blessing russia’s war against Ukraine and justifying the crimes of the occupiers.

Based on the evidence, Sudakov, Sevriuk, Porubai and Ponomarev were notified of suspicion in absentia under Articles 27.5, 110.3 of the CCU (aiding and abetting in the commission of intentional actions to change the boundaries of the territory or state border of Ukraine, upon prior conspiracy by a group of persons, which led to other grave consequences).

Efforts are underway to bring the suspects to prosecution for their crimes against Ukraine.

The investigation was carried out under the procedural supervision of the Prosecutor General’s Office.