Andriy Derkach, ex-MP and former president of NAEC Energoatom, who, according to the SBU investigation, is a Russian military intelligence asset and is now suspected of high treason and illegal enrichment, financed the UOC (in unity with the Moscow Patrirchate) for decades. In particular, Derkach took the leadership of the UOC (MP) to holy places by private planes. After a Tomos of autocephaly was granted to the OCU, Derkach tried to disrupt the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew’s visit to Ukraine.
Photo evidence of Onufry’s relationship with Derkach was published by Censor.net.
The photo shows that ex-MP Derkach spent a lot of time with Metropolitan Onufriy and was quite close to him.
It should be noted that Derkach oversaw the creation of private security firms in various regions of Ukraine country, which were supposed to contribute to the rapid capture of Ukraine by Russia’s invasion forces.
Derkach also penned a letter to Patriarch Bartholomew in which he asked him not to visit Ukraine. At the beginning of 2023, President Volodymyr Zelensky stripped Derkach of Ukrainian citizenship. In addition, the SBU recognized Derkach, a former faculty member at the UOC MP seminary, as an agent of the Russian GRU.
According to the investigation, Derkach received at least $567,000 from Russian law enforcement and intelligence agencies for subversive activities against Ukraine in 2019–2022. His work involved efforts to discredit Ukraine on the international stage, worsen diplomatic relations with the United States of America, and also complicate Ukraine’s integration into the European Union and NATO. He was put on the wanted list on September 16, 2022.
In May-July 2020, Derkach released audio records that he claimed may testify to the influence of former US Vice President Joe Biden on the fifth president of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko, during his tenure.
By the way, on July 3, 2023, the High Anti-corruption Court initiated an “in absentia” pre-trial investigation regarding Derkach.
