SSU Accuses 14 ROC Hierarchs of "Facilitating the Seizure of Ukrainian Dioceses" in Occupied Territories

The Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) has in absentia charged 14 high-ranking representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) for their involvement in attempts to “forcibly integrate Ukrainian churches into the ROC structure” in the temporarily occupied territories. According to the investigation, between 2022 and 2024, these hierarchs participated in the activities of the ROC’s Holy Synod, whose decisions allegedly aimed at changing ecclesiastical jurisdiction without the consent of believers or religious communities. This was reported by the official Telegram channel of the Security Service of Ukraine.

The list of suspects includes:

Metropolitan Artemy of Khabarovsk (Oleksandr Snihur),
Bishop Methodius of Kamianske (Mykhailo Kondratiev),
Metropolitan Ambrosius of Tver (Vitaliy Yermakov),
Patriarchal Exarch of Africa Leonid Gorbachev,
Archbishop Andriy Malakhanov of Petropavlovsk,
Bishop Petro Mansurov of Kalachinsk,
Metropolitan Lev of Novgorod (Mykola Tserpytskyi),
Metropolitan Arseny of Lipetsk (Yuriy Yepifanov),
Metropolitan Cyril of Kazan (Mykhailo Nakonechnyi),
Bishop Mykola Kryvenko of North Baikal,
Archbishop Illia Holubev of Anadyr,
Bishop Ilarion Kayhorodtsev of Kineshma,
Bishop Tarasiy Perov of Severomorsk,
Archbishop Arkadiy Taranov of Rovenky.

Investigators believe these individuals acted under the instructions of Patriarch Kirill (Gundyayev) and directly facilitated the incorporation of the Dzhankoy, Berdyansk, Rovenky, and Kherson dioceses into the ROC by appointing “Moscow-loyal bishops” to these territories.

All suspects 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 deliberate actions aimed at changing Ukraine’s national borders, which led to grave consequences.

The investigation is being conducted under the procedural guidance of the Office of the Prosecutor General.

Earlier, political analyst and former MP Oleksandr Chernenko stated that over the past two years, the SSU carried out a large-scale operation to “expose and dismantle networks of Russian agents operating under the guise of clergy.” According to him, the SSU’s actions had a “significant therapeutic and preventive effect.”