Information sabotage was carried out according to the classic “three-move” scheme.
The Security Service of Ukraine reported on the exposure of the “Union of Orthodox Journalists” structure, which was engaged in these sabotages and operated on the basis of the UOC (MP). The SBU noted that “this is one of the largest FSB networks that has operated in Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale invasion.”
More than 15 members of the group were exposed, and four key figures have already been detained. In particular, the coordinator of the network in Ukraine was detained. According to the investigation, this is one of the leaders of the capital’s church of the UOC (MP), who was part of the intelligence apparatus of the Russian special service. This cleric was responsible for distributing materials that incited interfaith hostility and justified an aggressive war against Ukraine.
To do this, the defendant personally instructed the “executors” - other participants in the criminal organization.
Together they worked according to the principles of the “three-way approach”. Namely, at the first stage, members of the Union of Orthodox Journalists group, under the guise of “political experts,” prepared provocative messages and videos.
At the second stage, the content they prepared was distributed through dozens of controlled channels on Telegram and YouTube, as well as on Facebook pages and official websites of various dioceses of the UOC (MP).
At the third stage, this content was quickly picked up and widely disseminated by influential Russian media, with which the Union of Orthodox Journalists group had constant contact.
As a result, information from “Orthodox brothers from Ukraine” was widely used to spread fakes about our country. One of the goals was to discredit Ukraine in the eyes of the world community using false information about “infringement of the rights of believers.”
The story of the activities of the “Union of Orthodox Journalists” became another confirmation that the UOC (MP) continues to work as an extensive network of agents, which the Russian Federation has been building for many years. The head of the SBU, Vasily Malyuk, said that his structure continues to carry out systematic work to expose the enemy’s collaborators, who, under the cover of the UOC (MP), not only agitate for the “Russian world”, but also collect information for the enemy, work as spotters and gunners, and the like. Or, as in the case of the activities of the Union of Orthodox Journalists, they are trying to undermine our society from within, using, in particular, the creation and distribution of fake news.
Based on the collected evidence, four detainees and ten other members of the criminal organization were informed of suspicion under the following articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine:
- Part 2 Art. 111 (high treason committed under martial law);
- part 6 art. 111-1 (collaboration activities);
- Part 4 Art. 28, part 1, part 2 art. 255 (creation and participation in a criminal organization);
- Part 3 Art. 161 (incitement to religious hostility and hatred committed by an organized group);
- hh. 1, 2 436-2 (justification, recognition as lawful, denial of the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine).
