The SBU has served a notice of suspicion to the rector of the UOC (MP) church, Hennadiy Shkil, who, together with Gauleiter Saldo, called for the accession of Kherson Region to Russia.
This is stated in the SBU press release.
The Security Service has collected evidence against Shkil, a cleric in the temporarily occupied town of Hola Prystan on the left bank of the Kherson Region.
Since the first days of the full-scale war, the archpriest has publicly supported Russian armed aggression and the seizure of part of Ukraine's territory. In July 2022, Shkil, along with Saldo, took part in a pro-Kremlin forum held at the then-seized Kherson State University.
During the event, the cleric delivered a speech calling for the region's accession to the Russian Federation. The collaborator then gave an interview to Russian propagandists from the occupation Tavria TV channel, in which he praised the organisation of a pseudo-referendum in Kherson Region.
The SBU-initiated examination confirmed the cleric's information and subversive activities.
Based on the evidence collected, SBU investigators served Hennadiy Shkil a notice of suspicion in absentia under two articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine:
- ч. 1, Part 3 of Art. 436-2 (justification, recognition as lawful, ensuring the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, glorification of its participants);
- ч. 6 Art. 111-1 (collaboration).
- Currently, the offender is hiding in the left bank of Kherson Region, and complex measures are being taken to bring the collaborator to justice.