Counterintelligence officers of the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) have detained the head of a church in the Sumy diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate), who turned out to be a spotter for Russian forces military intelligence.
Investigations revealed that the cleric tracked the locations of Ukrainian Defense Forces units and fortifications and relayed this information to Russian forces. The Russians were primarily interested in the coordinates of headquarters and fortified areas near the border.
According to available data, Russian forces planned to strike these Ukrainian positions to create a “dead zone” along the border, allowing Russian sabotage and reconnaissance groups to penetrate deeper into Sumy region and establish a foothold before the main forces arrived.
The case materials indicate that the Russian handlers contacted the priest remotely via the Internet.
To gather intelligence, the cleric covertly questioned parishioners and then personally surveyed areas to verify the presence of military objects. After identifying potential targets, the Russian informant reported back to his handlers through voice and text messages in a messenger app.
SSU officers carried out precautionary measures to secure Ukrainian positions and detained the suspect at his home.
During searches, authorities found pro-Kremlin literature and a smartphone containing evidence of collaboration with Russian forces.
The cleric has been formally charged under Part 2, Article 114-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (spreading information about the movement, deployment, or location of the Armed Forces of Ukraine or other military formations established under Ukrainian law). The suspect remains in custody and faces up to eight years in prison.
