The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has published a year-end review of its counterintelligence operations within church communities for 2022, sharing the findings via its official social media channels. The report emphasizes a sustained focus on religious life as a space where security concerns intersect with public order and national interest.
According to the summary, more than 40 operational events were organized inside church settings linked to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) during the past year. These activities ranged from surveillance-related actions to investigative measures aimed at assessing potential threats, influence operations, and the integrity of church administration in a time of heightened regional tension and political complexity.
The document states that as a result of these measures, 61 criminal cases were opened involving 61 clergy members. It is noted that courts have already issued seven sentences against individual clergy members in connection with these investigations, reflecting the ongoing legal response to perceived violations of Ukrainian law and church governance rules.
Sanctions were imposed on 17 employees associated with the UOC, and 250 clergy members were barred from entering Ukraine. In addition, the citizenship of 19 UOC clergy members was revoked as part of broader enforcement actions tied to security concerns and national sovereignty considerations.
In December 2022, President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree that expanded sanctions on representatives of religious organizations seen as connected to centers of influence linked to the Russian Federation. The decree aims to restrict activities of religious entities that are perceived to operate in ways that could undermine Ukraine’s security or national policy, signaling a persistent effort to delineate church affiliations within the geopolitical landscape.
On April 1, the Kyiv court issued a preventive measure in a high-profile case involving Metropolitan Pavel (Lebed), a senior figure associated with the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. The court ordered two months of house arrest and prohibited him from publicly addressing believers, a decision described as part of balancing religious freedoms with state security considerations during a period marked by significant public attention to church-state relations.