Russian Orthodox Church guides, St George’s ribbon, Communist Party membership ID: Ukraine’s Security Service sums up results of searches in Moscow-linked churches
The Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) has completed counterintelligence measures at the sites of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) in Zakarpattia, Chernivtsi, Rivne, Volyn, Mykolaiv, Sumy, Lviv, Zhytomyr and Kherson oblasts. Source: Press service of the Security Service of Ukraine Details: Law enforcement officers report that Russian passports, St George's ribbons, symbols of the banned Opposition Platform - For Life party and guides from Patriarch Kirill, Head of the Russian Orthodox Churches, on the spread of hostile propaganda through parishioners have been found on the premises of the dioceses.
Furthermore, warehouses containing pro-Kremlin literature, including works by the ideologue of rashism [Russian fascism ideology - ed.] Ivan Ilyin, have been discovered, notes the Security Service.
In these publications, representatives of the Russian Federation deny the existence of the Ukrainian people, their language and culture, and also question Ukrainian statehood.
During the inspection of the church premises in the village of Chornobayivka in Kherson Oblast, the Security Service officers discovered passes to the occupation authorities of the Russian Federation. A photo of hidden Russian documents "on ensuring cooperation with the military commissariats of the Russian Federation" was found in the diocese in Lviv Oblast.
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There was the flag of the so-called Republic of Carpathian Ruthenia with the text of the anthem of the "Carpathian Rusyns" on the territory of churches in Zakarpattia Oblast.
It was also established that the local priest, in his sermons, called people who celebrate Christmas on 25 December "godless Satanists".
Criminal proceedings have been initiated for the violation of the equality of citizens based on their race, nationality, regional belonging, religious preferences, disability and other grounds. A novice with a Russian passport and contacts in the Russian Federation was exposed on the territory of one of the monasteries in Rivne Oblast. The Security Service of Ukraine is currently investigating his possible involvement in intelligence and subversive activities in favour of Russian secret services.
A cleric with a Communist Party membership ID of the former USSR was discovered in the Romny diocese.
Currently, all seized materials have been sent for examination for further procedural actions, notes the Security Service.
Background: The Security Service reported inspections of religious institutions of the UOC-MP in nine oblasts to prevent the use of religious communities as hubs for the Russian world. [The term Russkiy Mir - "Russian world" or "Russian order" - is the concept of the total domination of Russian culture over other cultures - ed.]
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