In Kharkiv Region, UOC Priest Charged with “Justifying Russian Aggression”

In the Kharkiv region, a 56-year-old UOC priest has been charged in absentia with “justifying individuals involved in Russia’s armed aggression against Ukraine” since 2014 and presenting “this aggression as an internal conflict” through the media. According to the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office, the priest from Kupiansk district allegedly spread anti-Ukrainian narratives in the media. This was reported by the press service of the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office.

Specifically, he claimed that Ukraine is experiencing an “internal conflict” rather than a war and emphasized the idea of a “single people” and a “shared Soviet past” of Ukrainians and Russians.

According to the investigation, the priest allegedly justified the actions of Russian military forces and shifted responsibility for shelling and destruction onto Ukrainian defense forces.

Currently, authorities are considering putting the suspect on the wanted list. The investigation is being conducted by the Investigative Department of the Kupiansk District Police in Kharkiv region, with operational support from the Security Service of Ukraine  in Kharkiv.

It is also recalled that the head of the Security Service of Ukraine, Vasyl Malyuk, reported the number of criminal proceedings initiated by the agency against clergy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. According to Malyuk, since 2022, 31 verdicts have been issued for “state treason” and “incitement of enmity.”