The head of the synodal department of the Russian Orthodox Church for interaction with the armed forces and law enforcement agencies, Metropolitan Kirill of Stavropol and Nevinnomyssk, urged the head of the Wagner PMC Yevgeny Prigozhin and his warriors to stop and said neither God nor. the people would forgive them an armed rebellion and betrayal. Metropolitan Kirill’s statement was published on the Telegram channel of the Synodal Department.
“From the first days, our military clergy were at the forefront in the NVO region with the soldiers of our regular army and the fighters of the volunteer detachments, including the Wagner warriors. Therefore, for them and for myself, I have the right to say: stop! Neither Allah nor the people forgive armed rebellion, betrayal, and back stabbing.
He noted that many sins of a person are forgiven, but “the sins of betrayal, betrayal, coup d’etat are sometimes not forgiven.”
The cleric also supported the words of Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Moscow and All-Russian Patriarch Kirill on unity and preventing internal division in the country.
Earlier, Patriarch Kirill urged “those who are ready to take up arms and lead them against their brothers” to change their minds.
Russian President Vladimir Putin described the events related to the Wagner PMC as a rebellion and betrayal. After the statements of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of a private military company, a criminal case was opened for incitement to armed rebellion.