Four high-ranking Russian Orthodox Church metropolitans who helped seize churches in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine have been served with suspicion notices in absentia.
According to the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the Prosecutor General’s Office, these clerics were involved in the seizure of church properties on the left bank of the Kherson Region, Crimea, and occupied districts of Zaporizhzhya and Luhansk Regions.
The accused clerics, all members of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church, are:
- Metropolitan Varsonofiy (Anatoliy Sudakov), head of the St. Petersburg Metropolis.
- Metropolitan Anthony (Anton Sevryuk), head of the Department for External Church Relations of the Russian Orthodox Church.
- Metropolitan Georgiy (Georgiy Ponomaryov), head of the Kolomna Diocese and patriarchal vicar of the Moscow Metropolis.
- Metropolitan Dionysius (Petr Porubay), Chancellor of the Moscow Patriarchate.
Between 2022 and 2023, under the direction of Patriarch Kirill (Gundyaev), these clerics:
- Orchestrated the annexation of Ukrainian religious communities to the Russian Orthodox Church.
- Seized churches, buildings, and land in dioceses in Dzhankoy, Berdyansk, Rovenky, and Kherson.
- Appointed Moscow-loyal bishops to these territories.
- Promoted Kremlin narratives to parishioners, blessing Russia’s war against Ukraine and justifying the actions of the occupiers.
Additionally, the Russian Orthodox Church has been accused of expanding its influence under the guise of humanitarian work. Clerics acting as volunteers allegedly persuade elderly and sick individuals to relinquish their property.
The suspects have been charged under Part 5 of Article 27 and Part 3 of Article 110 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (aiding and abetting actions aimed at altering Ukraine’s territorial boundaries, by prior conspiracy, resulting in severe consequences).
Efforts are ongoing to hold these individuals accountable for their actions against Ukraine.