According to the DBR investigation, the Pechersk District Court of Kyiv chose a preventive measure in the form of detention for the “curator” The ROC in Ukraine is a former People’s Deputy of several convocations, elected from the banned pro-Russian party “Opposition Bloc”. According to information RBC-Ukraine, we are talking about oligarch Vadym Novinsky.
DBR employees together with the SBU previously reported the suspicion to this politician. He is accused of treason and inciting religious enmity.
The investigation established that since 2014, from the very beginning of Russia’s armed aggression against Ukraine, he promoted Russian narratives through media interviews, public speeches, as well as publications on his own website and in social networks. The deputy tried to create anti-government and pro-Russian attitudes in society, to justify the actions of the aggressor.
He followed the instructions of the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill (Gundyaev), was in close contact with him for a long time and was subordinate to him in the church hierarchy. In fact, he acted as a “curator” from the Russian Orthodox Church and represented the religious structure of a foreign state in Ukraine.
Acting in support of the foreign policy of the aggressor country, he systematically made public statements that had signs of religious intolerance and hostility.
After the start of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation into Ukraine, he resigned his parliamentary credentials and went abroad, but continues to exert informational influence against Ukraine. Its activities are aimed at harming sovereignty, state and information security, as well as achieving the Kremlin’s military and political goals and supporting Russian subversion in the information sphere.
Comprehensive forensic psychological and linguistic examinations confirmed the facts of the former deputy’s criminal activity in the interests of Russia. He was notified in absentia of the suspicion under the article of treason (Part 1 of Article 111 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine) and violation of the equality of citizens depending on race, national, regional affiliation or religious beliefs, committed by an official (Part 2 of Article 161 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
The maximum penalty for these crimes is up to fifteen years in prison with or without confiscation of property. Procedural management in the case is carried out by the Office of the Prosecutor General.
