PGO and SBU report suspicion to "military metropolitan" of ROC

Metropolitan Kirill (Pokrovsky) of Stavropol and Nevinnomyssk. Photo: open sources

The Prosecutor General's Office (PGO), together with the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), reported suspicion to a hierarch of the ROC – Metropolitan Kirill (Pokrovsky) of Stavropol and Nevinnomyssk . This was reported by the Prosecutor General's press service on social media on October 20.

According to the investigation, the hierarch heads the Synodal Department of the Russian Orthodox Church for interaction with the armed forces and law enforcement agencies of the Russian Federation. This structure, as claimed by the SBU, provides ideological support for the actions of the Russian military-political leadership and effectively serves as a link between the state, the church, and the army.

According to the agency, the investigation established that Metropolitan Kirill acted in collusion with Patriarch Kirill and other representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church, facilitating the subordination of Ukrainian dioceses to Moscow. Additionally, the Prosecutor General’s Office states that he was involved in creating a system of informational influence over believers in the temporarily occupied territories, promoting narratives of “spiritual unity with Russia” and justifying the military occupation.

The hierarch is accused of recording a video message on October 1, 2022, in which he openly supported armed aggression against Ukraine. He is also accused of giving an interview to the Russian agency "RIA Novosti" and repeating Kremlin narratives about a "just war" and the "heroism of liberators".

The SBU stated that through his actions, the metropolitan "helped the enemy undermine Ukraine's sovereignty", forming a distorted perception of the war among believers and justifying aggression under the guise of religious activity.

The pre-trial investigation is conducted by the Main Investigation Department of the Security Service of Ukraine under the procedural guidance of the Office of the Prosecutor General.

Metropolitan Kirill (Pokrovsky) is charged with aiding in changing Ukraine's borders and justifying armed aggression by the Russian Federation. He faces up to 12 years of imprisonment with confiscation of property.

As reported by the UOJ, earlier the SBU reported suspicion in absentia to 14 clergymen of the ROC.

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