SBU officers exposed a Russian agent in the Sumy region. It turned out to be the rector of the local church of the UOC-MP, who handed over secret data on the defense of the region to the Russian FSB.
According to the investigation, the priest collected information for the Russians about the locations of Ukrainian troops in the Sumy region. First of all, he tried to identify the locations of command posts and artillery units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Collected personal data and photographed objects
According to the SBU, a priest in the border area secretly photographed and filmed Ukrainian objects. The enemy needed this information to launch targeted missile and massive artillery strikes on the region, as well as to carry out sabotage attacks.
Also, the rector of the temple collected personal data of the heads of local authorities and law enforcement officers.
Employees of the SBU detained the attacker while trying to transfer classified information about officials of local military administrations to the aggressor. According to the investigation, the archpriest was recruited by a staff member of the FSB department for the Bryansk region in September last year, the SBU said in a statement.
Law enforcers note that the priest became a target for the Russian special services because of his pro-Russian views, which he did not hide. To transfer information, he used anonymous messengers.
The priest was arrested. He was informed of suspicion under the article on high treason.
Collaborators from the UOC-MP replenish the exchange fund
The representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense, Andrei Yusov, said the day before that, as part of the exchange of prisoners on February 16, the Ukrainian side handed over to the invaders a priest of the UOC-MP, suspected of high treason. It was he who was requested by the Russian side. However, it is not known whether the Ukrainian side transferred only this priest to the Russians as part of the exchange of prisoners, returning 99 military and 1 civilian.
At the same time, the Ukrayinska Pravda publication, citing its own sources in law enforcement agencies, reported that Ukraine handed over to Russia Nikolai Zvezda, rector of the Holy Kazan parish of the Gorlovka diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate. He served in the urban-type settlement of Yarovaya Limanskaya Gromada in the Donetsk region. For the exchange, the court sentenced him to 7 years in prison with confiscation of property.
