The Security Service of Ukraine and the Office of the Prosecutor General have gathered evidence against Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC), known as Volodymyr Gundyaev, who is accused of facilitating Russia's armed aggression and denying war crimes committed by the occupiers.
According to the investigation, the Moscow Patriarch is a close associate of the top military and political leadership of Russia and was one of the first to publicly support the full-scale war against Ukraine.
To spread propaganda, he extensively uses the religious communities affiliated with the ROC within the territory of Russia, as well as representatives of the UOC-MP (Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate) in Ukraine.
Furthermore, Gundyaev regularly disseminates Kremlin narratives through online sermons or his video commentaries.
For instance, it has been documented that in March 2022, an article was published on the ROC's website where a cleric blessed Russia's National Guard Commander Zolotov to wage war against Ukraine.
Additionally, at the end of February 2023, an official video was released on the ROC's YouTube channel where Gundyaev justified the occupation of Eastern Ukraine.
Moreover, the Patriarch has provided comments on Russia's central TV channels, expressing support for the Kremlin's aggressive policies and urging believers to unite in the war against Ukraine.
An expertise initiated by the SSU confirmed the evidence of the Patriarch's criminal activities.
Based on the gathered evidence, Kirill has been notified of suspicion under the following articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine:
- Part 3 of Article 110 (Intentional actions aimed at violating the territorial integrity and inviolability of Ukraine).
- Part 3 of Article 436-2 (Justification, recognition as lawful, denial of Russia's armed aggression against Ukraine, glorification of its participants).
- Part 5 of Article 27 and Part 2 of Article 437 (Planning, preparation, initiation, and conduct of aggressive warfare).
Comprehensive measures are ongoing to hold the suspect accountable for crimes against the state of Ukraine.
It is worth noting that since the beginning of Russia's full-scale aggression, the SSU has initiated 70 criminal proceedings related to representatives of the UOC-MP (Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate), of which 16 involve metropolitans of the Church.
