Complicity of UOC (MP) priests with Russia: Prosecutor General's Office reported on exposed crimes
Kyiv • UNN
A UOC (MP) clergyman was exposed for organizing the illegal transportation of conscription-age men abroad. He was detained while receiving 26,000 euros, and he and his accomplice were remanded in custody.
A clergyman of the UOC (MP) has been exposed on suspicion of organizing the illegal transportation of men of conscription age abroad. This was reported by UNN with reference to the Prosecutor General's Office.
Details
Prosecutors of the Chernivtsi District Prosecutor's Office, together with the police and the SBU, exposed a clergyman of the UOC (MP) who organized the illegal transportation of men of conscription age abroad. He involved an accomplice, a 42-year-old resident of the village of Bancheny, Chernivtsi district, in the criminal scheme.
According to the investigation, the clergyman promised two conscripted men to organize unhindered crossing of the Ukrainian-Romanian border for 13,000 euros per person.
It is reported that he involved an acquaintance in the illegal "business" who provided transport support for "clients" from the Ternopil region to the Chernivtsi region, where the transfer of funds and further instructions were to take place.
The PGO notes that the organizers were detained in Chernivtsi while receiving 26,000 euros. They were notified of suspicion under Part 3 of Article 332 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine and preventive measures were chosen:
- for the clergyman – detention with the possibility of bail of over UAH 1.2 million;
- for his accomplice – detention with the possibility of bail of UAH 605,600.
The Prosecutor General's Office notes that the above case is part of a broader problem of complicity of UOC (MP) clergy with the aggressor state.
Throughout 2025, law enforcement agencies systematically investigated the activities of individuals suspected, accused, or convicted of collaborating with the enemy, treason, assisting in evading mobilization, glorification, and providing the enemy with information about the movement of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
It is reported that in 2025, 12 individuals were notified of suspicion under various articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. In particular, 9 suspicions concerned glorification (Article 436-2 of the Criminal Code), 1 – treason (Part 2 of Article 111 of the Criminal Code), 1 – obstruction of the lawful activities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (Article 114-1 of the Criminal Code), and 1 – unauthorized dissemination of information about the deployment or movement of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (Part 2 of Article 114-2 of the Criminal Code).
13 indictments were sent to court, of which 9 concerned glorification (Article 436-2 of the Criminal Code), 2 – encroachment on the territorial integrity of Ukraine (Article 110 of the Criminal Code), 1 – treason (Article 111 of the Criminal Code), and 1 – obstruction of the activities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (Article 114-1 of the Criminal Code).
As a result of the court proceedings, 7 verdicts were handed down: 6 for glorification (of which 5 provided for imprisonment with release from serving the sentence on the basis of Article 75 of the Criminal Code, and 1 – 3 years of probationary supervision) and 1 for complicity with the aggressor state (Article 111-2 of the Criminal Code), which provided for 11 years of imprisonment.