The Security Service of Ukraine has charged the metropolitan of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (in unity with the Moscow Patriarchate) with glorifying Russia’s armed aggressors.
This is stated by the SBU press service.
Oleksiy Maslennikov, 44, originally from Moldova, who holds Ukrainian citizenship, headed the Romny Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate in Sumy region since 2013 as Metropolitan Iosyf of Romny and Buryn.
Amid the war, on September 20, 2022, Maslennikov traveled to Poland from where he went on to Russia to conduct on September 25 the so-called Divine Liturgy in the Saint Nicholas Monastery in the town of Verkhoturye, Sverdlovsk Region of the Russian Federation. He took part in the church event as a bishop (senior high priest), understanding that the liturgy is public and is held for a large number of people.
At the liturgy, with the participation of Iosyf, instructions were voiced to pray for the Russian military, who are fighting against Ukraine: “Let us preserve our Russian state, its authorities, its army, and its people, to our father the vicar, the venerable holy abbot Hieronymus with the brothers of this holy monastery, to the whole holy council, to all the coming and to the praying Orthodox Christians, pilgrims, donors, trustees, and beautifiers of this holy abode, and to all Orthodox Christians, may the Lord grant peace, silence, health and salvation, and in everything a good haste, and keep them for many summers.”
It is believed that Maslennikov had been aware of the content of the texts of the prayers set to be voiced at the liturgy. The conclusion of the forensic-linguistic examination indicated that such prayers contain an incentive to preserve Russia’s statehood. In addition, the participants of the Russian military aggression against Ukraine were glorified at the event.
The candidate of historical sciences wrote in the conclusion that church minister Iosyf, having put the sign of the cross on himself, asked God to fulfill the so-called prayer request. This means that he publicly prayed for and supported the Russian government, state, army, and people.
According to the media, Maslennikov remains in the territory of the Russian Federation where he obtained a Russian passport. On December 28, 2022, the President of Ukraine stripped him of his Ukrainian citizenship, and Maslennikov was also put on the NSDC sanctions list.
