Moscow: Ukraine’s Interior Ministry has placed Patriarch Kirill, the head of Russia’s Orthodox Church, on a ‘wanted’ list, reported Reuters.
A backer of the Kremlin’s 21-month-old war against Ukraine, Patriarch has been accused of abetting the conflict by Ukraine’s security services.
Patriarch is in Russia and under no threat of arrest, hence it’s largely a symbolic move.
Ukraine has been vocal in its campaign to uproot influence of priests in maintaining close links with Russia and subverting Ukrainian society.
Ukrainian ministry’s post on ‘wanted’ list identified Patriarch by name, showing him in his clerical robes and describing him as “an individual in hiding from the bodies of pre-trial investigation.”
The post also said he had been “missing” since November 11.
In November, Ukraine’s SBU security service issued a document saying Patriarch “infringed Ukrainian sovereignty” by virtue of his position as “part of the closest entourage of Russia’s military and political leadership.”
Ukraine has launched dozens of criminal cases, including accusations of treason, against priests and officials linked to the branch of the church associated with Moscow.
Denouncing those actions, Patriarch has appealed to clerical leaders worldwide to stop Ukraine’s moves against the church.
