Orthodox priest Oleksandr Zanemonets, hired by the Helsinki parish in Finland in March 2022 to work with Ukrainian refugees, was dismissed after it turned out that he did not meet the stated requirements – his knowledge of Ukrainian was weak, and his ties with Russia turned out to be closer than claimed. This is stated in the material of the publication Yle, writes UNN.
Details
The case raised security service concerns about the possible use of church networks as an instrument of influence.
After the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a priest arrived in Finland, introducing himself as Oleksandr Zanemonets and allegedly intending to serve Ukrainian displaced persons. He was invited to the Helsinki parish, where they hoped for the support of a large Orthodox audience among refugees. Zanemonets assured that he spoke Ukrainian and sometimes hinted at his native Ukrainian origin, but the work quickly raised questions: his language proficiency turned out to be insufficient, and the data about his biography was contradictory.
Yle journalists found out that the priest was ordained just over six months before his arrival – in a diocese subordinate to the Moscow Patriarchate. He gave different explanations for his origin: in an interview with the media, he claimed that he came from Israel, later admitting that he "technically" came from Moscow. Bishop Serhiy, with whom Zanemonets met, denies that he invited him or that he knew him well.
The Helsinki parish admitted that the appointment was a mistake made in haste: the requirement to be fluent in Ukrainian was key for working with displaced persons, and its non-fulfillment undermined trust.
The Archbishop's theological secretary called the situation one where "we were fooled." After a series of doubts, cooperation with Zanemonets was terminated.
Finnish government special services (Supo) do not officially comment on this specific case, but point to risks: Russia may try to use church institutions as channels of influence or for hybrid operations. Zanemonets himself, according to the investigation, is currently in the United States and indicates that he and his family fled Russia after the start of the war; he explains his insufficient Ukrainian by a language barrier.