Court extends preventive measure for Metropolitan Theodosius of Cherkasy

On December 26, 2025, the Sosnovsky District Court of Cherkasy decided to extend the measure of restraint in the form of personal commitment to Metropolitan Theodosius (Snigirev) of Cherkasy and Kanev for another two months. The next court hearing in this case is scheduled for January 13, 2026.

As Suspilne.media reports, the request to extend the measure of restraint for the bishop was made by prosecutor Kateryna Kostenko. In support of her request, prosecutor Kostenko pointed to a number of potential risks, including the possibility of the Metropolitan hiding from the court, his illegal influence on victims and witnesses, and obstruction of criminal proceedings. In addition, she stated the risk of committing new crimes. The prosecutor also emphasized that «the Defendant has strongly pronounced Ukrainophobic attitudes and has a negative attitude towards the Ukrainian authorities.»

The Metropolitan’s defense counsel, lawyer Vladimir Yudin, came forward to refute the arguments of the prosecution. He noted that «Surely the prosecution does not read the previous court decisions, including the same arguments regarding the strongly Ukrainophobic attitudes. The preventive measure is changed, and the prosecutor’s motion remains the same, only the dates are changed, this is a very formalized approach. The prosecutor’s risks are far-fetched, they do not correspond to reality.»

Metropolitan Theodosius, who participated in the meeting remotely together with his lawyer Tamara Gridenko, fully supported his defenders. He called the charges «a mockery of me personally and in my person of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church» and asked the court to reject the prosecutor’s motion.

Nevertheless, after the meeting, the judge announced the decision to extend the measure of restraint Metropolitan Theodosius in the form of personal commitment for the next two months.

Recall, earlier we reported that the hierarch of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church Metropolitan of Cherkasy and Kanevsk Metropolitan Feodosiy was discharged from the hospital and will continue treatment on an outpatient basis. His health condition does not yet allow him to return to full public ministry, but he expressed his deep gratitude to all those who provided him with prayerful support during this period.