SBU targets Moscow-affiliated church cleric in latest raid – source

SBU targets Moscow-affiliated church cleric in latest raid – source

Ukrinform
Security Service operatives are conducting a search at the residence of Metropolitan Luka of Zaporizhzhia and Melitopol. The cleric is part of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate).

That’s according to Ukrinform’s source in law enforcement.

The raid was launched in Zaporizhzhia on May 1, the source told the agency.

The SBU press service will later release a report with details of the case, according to the interlocutor.

Read also: Cleric charged in Ukraine over helping Russia locate targets for strikes

According to the Chesno watchdog, in 2022, Luka publicly claimed that Ukrainians deserved Russian bombing because they tolerate "gay parades" in Kyiv, which implies that Ukrainians stood up against God and thus deserve "Sodom and Gomorrah".

Also, in his interviews, Luka constantly spoke against severing ties with Moscow.

He also accused the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church of inciting the war in Donbas, branding Catholicism a religion of hate and bloodshed.

As reported, on December 11, 2022, the National Security and Defense Council introduced personal sanctions against seven hierarchs from the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate). Among them was Metropolitan Luka (Andriy Kovalenko) of Zaporizhia and Melitopol.

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