Case opened against SBU officer for actions at Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra

Security forces near the Lavra caves. Photo: UOJ

On June 2, 2025, the Shevchenkivskyi District Court launched a pre-trial investigation against an officer of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) who had assisted the Ministry of Culture's commission in inspecting the relics of saints in the caves of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, according to Lavra attorney Archpriest Mykyta Chekman.

The investigation was initiated at the request of representatives of the Lavra.

According to the lawyer, the court ordered an investigator from the General Bureau of Investigations in Kyiv to “enter the information into the Unified Register of Pre-Trial Investigations and begin a pre-trial investigation into the abuse of power by the SBU officer involved in the commission evaluating the presence and historical/scientific value of the saints’ relics.”

Earlier, the UOJ reported that the Lavra brotherhood had filed a complaint against the Minister of Culture with the State Bureau of Investigations (SBI).

Read also

Patriarch Theophilos addresses believers with words of support ahead of Pascha

The Primate of the Church of Jerusalem, in a video address, highlighted that even in conditions of war, Christians are not abandoned by God and place their hope solely in the Resurrection of Christ.

Muslims of Russia call war with Ukraine "sacred jihad"

The Mufti of Chechnya stated that all Islamic religious leaders should be ready to stand alongside RF soldiers.

Kyiv UOC Eparchy holds aid drive for children and people with disabilities

In Boyarka, Kyiv region, more than 50 families received food and clothing as part of a charitable outreach held on the eve of the feast of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem.

New monastics tonsured at Putyvl’s Molchensky Convent

The ruling bishop of the Konotop Eparchy performed a monastic tonsure.

US Protestant Churches hold Easter events with drone shows and spectacles

Protestant communities in the United States marked Easter with large-scale events featuring drones, helicopters, and spectacle-driven shows aimed at drawing people in and conveying the Gospel message.

Temporary church of persecuted UOC community burns down in Telchi

In Volyn, a fire has effectively destroyed the building where the faithful had been praying after their church was seized.