Georgy Shevkunov (known as Tikhon), the head of the Crimean Metropolis of the Russian Orthodox Church – a Russian citizen who systematically justified the armed aggression against Ukraine and called for changing its territory – has been notified of suspicion, UNN reports, citing the Office of the Prosecutor General and the Security Service of Ukraine.
Details
In October 2023, he headed the Crimean Metropolis of the Russian Orthodox Church, which includes the Dzhankoi, Simferopol and Feodosia dioceses incorporated by the Russian Orthodox Church.
According to the investigation, the metropolitan used his status and authority as a religious figure to support Russia’s aggressive war against Ukraine and spread Kremlin propaganda narratives.
He called the Russian invasion a "terrible and forced measure," allegedly necessary to protect Russia, and Ukraine a "shell against Russia" created by external forces.
The metropolitan portrayed the Russian-Ukrainian war as a "civil war," claimed that Russia had allegedly been pushed into it by external enemies, and called its aim "victory over Nazism and fascism" and over the allegedly created in Ukraine "misanthropic system."
According to the investigation, through these statements he justified Russian aggression, denied the interstate nature of the war, and shifted responsibility for it onto Ukraine and external forces.
His public speeches also contained calls for a change of government and related territorial changes in Ukraine through aggressive warfare. According to the investigation, rhetoric about "Nazism" and "fascism," as well as the opposition of Ukrainian religious communities, contains signs of incitement to national and religious hatred.
Furthermore, According to the investigation, the suspect is Putin’s chief spiritual mentor.
The head of the Crimean Metropolis is included on the sanctions lists of Ukraine and the European Union.
He has been notified of suspicion under:
· Part 2 of Article 110 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine – public calls for intentional actions aimed at changing the boundaries of the territory or state border of Ukraine, combined with incitement to national or religious hatred;
· Part 3 of Article 436-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine – justifying the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine using the mass media.