MOSCOW, April 1 – RIA Novosti. Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) failed results In 2022, 61 criminal cases were opened against “counterintelligence activities in the church environment”, in which the Ukrainian Orthodox Church summarized the results of its activities against the clergy, according to the results of its work, seven court decisions were made, 19 people were deprived of Ukrainian citizenship.

“In 2022, the Security Service of Ukraine launched comprehensive counterintelligence and security measures (more than 40) in the church environment of the UOC. As a result of the measures, 61 criminal cases were opened against 61 clergy. It has already delivered 7 sentences against individual clergy.” – Says the message of the SBU on the Telegram channel.

According to the materials of the special service, 17 UOC officials were sanctioned. Among other things, as the agency reported, 250 clergy were banned from entering Ukrainian territory. The Ukrainian citizenship of 19 of the UOC’s clergy was also terminated.

In 2022, Ukrainian authorities staged the largest wave of persecution of the UOC in the country’s recent history. Referring to its connection with Russia, local authorities in different regions of Ukraine decided to ban the activities of the UOC, and a bill on its de facto ban in Ukraine was submitted to the parliament of the country. Some clergy are sanctioned. The Security Service of Ukraine began to file criminal cases against the UOC clergy for carrying out “counterintelligence measures” – the search for bishops and priests in churches and monasteries, including the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, the search for evidence of “anti-Ukrainian” activities.”

In February 2023, the SBU announced that it had opened criminal proceedings against 55 priests of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church last year.