Hroisman's priorities: protecting the Moscow Patriarchate is more important than the environment
Kyiv • UNN
The meeting of the Vinnytsia Regional Council's working group, which is trying to find out the causes of the massive fish kill in one of the lakes of the Ladyzhyn Reservoir, was unexpectedly postponed.
And the reason for this is most likely that the initiator of this group, Vinnytsia Regional Council deputy from Groysman's Ukrainian Strategy, Ihor Khmil, is clearly not in the mood for environmental issues.
According to the residents of Ladyzhyn, Khmil is now one of those who actively obstruct the activities of the newly created community of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine in the Holy Kazan Church of the city, UNN reports.
The situation in Ladyzhyn is really tense. Back in November of last year, the parishioners of the church held a meeting where more than 1,300 people decided to move to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.
All documents were completed. The parishioners elected Mykhailo Bondarenko, an ATO/JFO participant, veteran, and public figure, as the head of the church community.
On December 28, representatives of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine tried to enter the church in a civilized manner. But they were prevented by echeloned defense in the form of priest of the Moscow Patriarchate Yevgeny Vorobyov with a gas canister, women with children, and some people with sticks.
On January 9, OCU believers finally got to their churches and were shocked by what they saw. In the church, they found Russian flags, icons depicting the Russian imperial family, religious books promoting the "Russian world," pro-Russian calendars, photo portraits of Russian Orthodox Church hierarchs, and a selection of DVDs with propaganda films about Russia and the "place" of Ukraine. People found a pile of stones in the bell tower. It is assumed that supporters of the "Russian world" and the Russian church were going to throw them at their opponents.
As it turned out, there are plenty of supporters of the "Russian world" in Vinnytsia region, despite the full-scale Russian aggression. Another proof of this is that the video from Ladyzhyn was broadcast on central Russian propaganda channels and was shown with the necessary narratives about alleged religious oppression in Ukraine.
Residents of Ladyzhyn assume that the video was sent to Russia by someone from the local community, and that it was directly attached to the propagandists by the son of UOC-MP priest Yevhen Vorobyov , Dmytro Vorobyov, who is studying to become a military chaplain in Russia.
One of the active fighters against the Ukrainian church in Ladyzhyn is the head of the so-called military-patriotic club "Reid" Oleksandr Mrykh, who in 2020 ran for the Ladyzhyn City Council from the now-banned OPFL. And also the head of the organization "Young Paratrooper" Maksym Kozachko.
According to local residents, it is they who are behind the violent provocations against the OCU parishioners.
As for Khmil, on December 28, he posted a video on his Facebook page in which he called the legitimate attempt of the OCU community to enter their own church a "raider seizure."
Back in 2015, Khmil received the Order of St. George the Victorious from Metropolitan Onufriy of the UOC-MP for his support of the Russian Church's branch in Ukraine.
In the midst of full-scale Russian aggression, in November 2022, Khmil was the only member of the Vinnytsia Regional Council who abstained from voting on an appeal to ban the Moscow Patriarchate in Ukraine.
And in April 2023, he was also the only one who abstained from voting to terminate the lease agreements with the UOC-MP.
