The Security Service of Ukraine detained a priest of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the Sumy region

The Security Service of Ukraine reported the detention of a clergyman of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the Sumy region. According to the agency, the clergyman is suspected of “coordinating Russian strikes on the Sumy region.” He faces up to 8 years in prison. This was reported by the SBU press service.

«The investigation established that the cleric tracked the locations of combat units and fortifications of the Ukrainian Defense Forces and passed them on to the Russians. The enemy was most interested in the coordinates of headquarters and fortified areas on the border of the region. According to available data, the occupiers planned to strike these positions of the Ukrainian troops and create a “dead zone” along the border, which would allow Russian DRGs to penetrate deep into the Sumy region and consolidate their positions before the arrival of the main enemy forces. According to the case file, the enemy “contacted” the archpriest remotely via the Internet. To gather intelligence, the cleric covertly asked parishioners for information and then traveled to the area himself to check for military facilities. After identifying potential targets, the Russian informant reported to his handler via voice and text messages in a messenger app. SBU officers took comprehensive measures in advance to ensure the security of the Defense Forces’ positions and detained the suspect at his home. During searches of the archpriest’s home, pro-Kremlin literature and a smartphone with evidence of collaboration with the enemy were found,» — the statement said.

Earlier, we reported that the Security Service of Ukraine had updated data on the number of criminal cases against clergymen of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church that had been opened since 2022. According to the special service, in three and a half years of the Russian-Ukrainian war, 180 proceedings were initiated against clergymen of the UOC, of which only 38 were proven in court.