Based on the evidence collected by the SSU, a rector of a church in Dnipropetrovsk diocese of moscow patriarchate’s Ukrainian Orthodox Church has been convicted to prison.

During his sermons, he justified russia’s full-scale invasion and the seizure of part of Ukraine’s territory.

In personal conversations with parishioners, the priest was trying to persuade them to move to russia or to the temporarily occupied areas to help the ruscists.

The church official was waiting for Dnipropetrovsk region to be occupied, which he repeatedly mentioned in his conversations with the local population.

The SSU documented the suspect’s unlawful actions and detained him in his home in September 2022.

During the searches, the SSU seized the mobile phones that the cleric used to spread kremlin propaganda.

The SSU-initiated examinations confirmed the facts of the perpetrator’s subversive activities against Ukraine.

Based on the collected evidence, the court found the accused guilty under Article 436-2.3 of the CCU (justification, recognition as legitimate, denial of russia’s armed aggression against Ukraine, glorification of its participants) and sentenced to 5 years in prison.

The investigation was carried out by the SSU Office in Dnipropetrovsk region under the supervision of the regional Prosecutor’s Office.