Reports to SBU of weapons in UOC churches were always false, Novynskyi says

SBU officers before a search at a UOC church. Photo: SBU

Former Ukrainian lawmaker and Ukrainian Orthodox Church Protodeacon Vadym Novynskyi said that reports submitted to the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) alleging that weapons were being stored in UOC churches generally turned out to be false. He made the remarks in an interview with Strana.ua.

According to Fr. Vadym, hundreds of such reports were filed during the first months of the war, but at the time, SBU officers did not publicize these cases.

The former MP said the situation changed after Vasyl Maliuk became head of the SBU. According to Novynskyi, searches and inspections then began attracting camera crews and journalists, while media reports claimed that suspicious items had allegedly been discovered.

"As soon as someone went out to conduct a search or inspection, cameras and journalists would immediately appear, followed by news reports and articles claiming that something had supposedly been found. And what they found was some kind of nonsense. Then they would start accusing people, creating an atmosphere in society as though the Church were full of traitors and collaborators. But that's a lie," the protodeacon emphasized.

He recalled that a law was passed in 2024 allowing authorities to initiate proceedings to ban the UOC. In his view, the authorities are trying to divide the Church, but it remains united despite differences of opinion on certain issues.

As the UOJ previously reported, the UOC Chancellor shared details of SBU searches at Kyiv Metropolia.

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