SBU indicts 14 Russian Orthodox Church clerics in absentia

Illustrative photo. Source: Ukrinform

On April 22, 2025, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) announced that it had formally charged 14 senior clerics of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) in absentia. The SBU claims they were involved in the “seizure of Ukrainian churches in temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.” The statement was published on the agency’s official Facebook page.

The charges pertain to clerics who were members of the ROC’s Holy Synod between 2022 and 2024:
– Metropolitan Artemiy of Khabarovsk and Priamurye
– Bishop Methodiy of Kamensk and Kamyshlov
– Metropolitan Ambrose of Tver and Kashin
– Retired Metropolitan Leonid (Gorbachev), former Patriarchal Exarch of Africa
– Archbishop Theodore of Petropavlovsk and Kamchatka
– Bishop Peter of Kalachinsk and Muromtsevo
– Metropolitan Leo of Novgorod and Staraya Russa
– Metropolitan Arseniy of Lipetsk and Zadonsk
– Metropolitan Cyril of Kazan and Tatarstan
– Bishop Nicholas of Severobaikalsk and Sosnovo-Ozersk
– Archbishop Hypatiy of Anadyr and Chukotka (referred to as "Ilya" in the SBU’s statement, possibly in error – Ed.)
– Bishop Hilarion of Kineshma and Palekh
– Bishop Tarasiy of Severomorsk and Umba
– Archbishop Arkady of Rovenky and Sverdlovsk

The SBU states that these hierarchs were responsible for securing the Synod’s decision to “join” the Dzhankoi, Berdiansk, Rovenky, and Kherson eparchies of the UOC to the ROC and for appointing bishops “loyal to Moscow” in these territories.

All 14 clerics have been charged in absentia under Part 5 of Article 27 and Part 3 of Article 110 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (aiding and abetting intentional actions aimed at altering the borders or territory of Ukraine in violation of the Constitution, committed by a group of persons by prior conspiracy, leading to other serious consequences).

The SBU also stated that it is conducting “comprehensive measures to bring those responsible to justice for crimes against Ukraine.”

Previously, in December 2024, the SBU announced similar charges in absentia against four other members of the ROC Holy Synod.

As reported earlier by the UOJ, in December 2024 the SBU also charged former Metropolitan Elisey of Izium in absentia. He had been suspended from his position in the UOC on September 29, 2022.

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