Ukraine puts head of Russian church Kirill on wanted list

(Patria) - Ukraine's Interior Ministry on Friday put the head of the Russian Orthodox Church on a wanted list after security services accused him of supporting the war.

The measure is purely symbolic because Patriarch Kirill is in Russia and is not under threat of arrest. It was the latest step in Ukraine's campaign to root out the influence of priests it says maintain close ties with Russia and undermine Ukrainian society, Reuters reports.

The wanted notice from the Ukrainian ministry identified Kirill by name, showed him in a priestly robe and described him as "a person hiding from pre-trial investigation bodies." It stated that he has been "missing" since November 11.

Orthodox Christianity is the dominant faith in Ukraine and authorities in Kyiv have launched criminal proceedings against clergy associated with the branch of the Orthodox Church that was once directly linked to the Russian church and Kirill.

Parliament in Kyiv is considering a draft law that would ban that church branch, which has lost many of its parishioners since the Kremlin leader sent Russian troops into Ukraine in February 2022. The church says it severed all ties with Moscow in May 2022.
The Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) issued a document last month stating that Kirill had "violated Ukrainian sovereignty" based on his position as "part of the closest circle of the Russian military and political leadership."

Security forces have launched dozens of criminal proceedings, including charges of treason, against priests and officials associated with the Moscow-linked church branch. Kirill has condemned those actions and appealed to clerical leaders worldwide to stop Ukraine's moves against the church.

A senior official in the Russian church told Russian news agency RIA that putting Kirill on the wanted list is "a step that is as ridiculous as it is predictable." Vladimir Legoida, responsible for relations with other churches, told RIA that Ukrainian authorities are guilty of "lawlessness and an attempt to intimidate parishioners."