The Security Service of Ukraine has collected evidence of subversive activities by Dmitry Vasilenkov, deputy head of the synodal department of the russian orthodox church for cooperation with the armed forces and law enforcement agencies of the russian federation.

According to the investigation, the archpriest publicly promotes russia’s armed aggression against Ukraine and justifies russian war crimes.

In April 2023, moscow patriarch kirill (gundyaev) appointed him as ‘chief military priest’. This official organises the dissemination of kremlin narratives in the russian armed forces.

To this end, Vasilenkov conducts special training courses for ‘agitators in cassocks’ who impose the ideology of ruscism on the russian occupation groupings.

Before being appointed the kremlin’s church mouthpiece, Vasilenkov first graduated from a military school in Yaroslavl and a theological seminary in russia. He later became a protopriest of the St. Petersburg ROC diocese.

Since 2014, the cleric has made 60 trips to the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, where he ‘blessed’ ruscicts for the war against Ukraine.

Vasilenkov also actively participated in involving priests of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (moscow patriarchate) in the temporarily occupied territories in justifying the occupation of our lands.

A forensic linguistic examination initiated by the Security Service confirmed the facts of the perpetrator’s subversive activities against Ukraine.

Based on the evidence, SSU investigators notified him in absentia of suspicion under two Articles of the CCU:

• 436 (propaganda of war);
• 436-2.3 (justification, recognition as lawful, denial of russia’s armed aggression against Ukraine, glorification of its participants, committed with the use of mass media).

The suspect is hiding in russia; efforts to bring him to justice are underway.

The investigation was carried out under the procedural supervision of the Prosecutor General’s Office.