Top priest of Moscow-backed church accused of leaking Ukrainian military checkpoints to Russia
Metropolitan Arsenii, a Russian national, heads the historic Svyatogorsk Lavra monastery in Donetsk Oblast, one of Ukraine's major Orthodox monasteries.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has accused Metropolitan Arsenii (Ihor Yakovenko), an influential cleric of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, of revealing locations of Ukrainian military checkpoints in the Kramatorsk district of Donetsk region to Russian forces.
The SBU published a photograph showing Arsenii together with security service officers.
“This happened during his liturgy service. The vicar named the addresses of Ukrainian military checkpoints out loud to parishioners while being recorded on video. This video was later published online,” the statement says.
According to sources of the Ukrainian BBC service in the SBU, these events took place in the autumn of 2023.
The SBU states that even before the Russian invasion, Arsenii expressed pro-Kremlin narratives, referring to Russia’s aggression in Ukraine as a “civil conflict.” He has now been charged with disseminating information about Ukrainian military forces’ locations, an offense punishable by up to 8 years in prison.
The issue of pre-trial restrictive measures is being considered, the SBU states.
The cliric has not yet commented on these accusations.
Arsenii, a Russian national, heads the historic Svyatogorsk Lavra monastery in Donetsk Oblast, one of Ukraine’s major Orthodox monasteries. The monastery belongs to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP), long seen as a conduit for Russian destabilizing influence in Ukraine despite a nominal split from the Russian Orthodox Church after the 2022 invasion.
While the UOC-MP claims separation from Moscow, many of its clergy still spread anti-Ukrainian propaganda and some have allegedly acted as Russian saboteurs, spotters, and intelligence agents during the war. The church has a history of pro-Russian activities at various levels.
Read more:
- Ukraine jails metropolitan of Moscow-affiliated Orthodox Church for supporting Russian war
- Moscow-backed Ukrainian Orthodox Church hires US lobbyist for $1400 per Hour
- PACE: Putin illegitimate, Russian Orthodox Church propaganda instrument
- Orthodox Church of Ukraine activists implore leaders to condemn violence during parish transfers
You could close this page. Or you could join our community and help us produce more materials like this.
We keep our reporting open and accessible to everyone because we believe in the power of free information. This is why our small, cost-effective team depends on the support of readers like you to bring deliver timely news, quality analysis, and on-the-ground reports about Russia's war against Ukraine and Ukraine's struggle to build a democratic society.
A little bit goes a long way: for as little as the cost of one cup of coffee a month, you can help build bridges between Ukraine and the rest of the world, plus become a co-creator and vote for topics we should cover next. Become a patron or see other ways to support.
