Archpriest of the UOC MP coordinated strikes by occupiers on Sumy region

Archpriest of the UOC MP coordinated strikes by occupiers on Sumy region

The Security Service of Ukraine detained the rector of one of the churches of the Sumy Diocese of the UOC (MP), who, on the orders of Russian military intelligence (GRU), was transmitting the coordinates of Ukrainian military facilities. According to the investigation, the archpriest tracked the positions of combat units and fortification structures of the Defense Forces of Ukraine and passed this information to the enemy.

The Russians were most interested in the coordinates of headquarters and fortified areas in the border territory of Sumy region. This was reported by the press service of the SSU.

Russian special services planned to strike these positions and create a "dead zone" along the border, which would allow sabotage and reconnaissance groups (SRG) to penetrate the region and establish a foothold before the arrival of the main forces.

The suspect received tasks remotely via the internet, and to gather intelligence, he extracted information from parishioners, independently visited locations to verify the presence of military facilities, and transmitted the data to his handler through voice and text messages in a messenger app.

SSU officers conducted coordinated measures to protect the positions of Ukrainian troops and detained the archpriest at his residence. During the search, pro-Kremlin literature and a smartphone with evidence of collaboration with the enemy were seized.

SSU investigators informed the suspect of the offense under Part 2 of Article 114-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (dissemination of information about the movement, relocation, or location of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and other military formations). The offender is currently in custody. He faces up to 8 years in prison.