This man is wanted by Ukraine (Picture: AFP via Getty Images)
Ukraine has put the head of Russia’s Orthodox Church on its ‘most wanted’ listed for his support of the war.
Patriarch Kirill is currently in Russia so is under no threat of immediate arrest from Ukraine.
He is described by Ukraine’s interior ministry as ‘an individual in hiding from the bodies of pre-trial investigation’ who has been ‘missing’ since November 11.
A document released by Ukraine’s SBU security service last month said Kirill ‘infringed Ukrainian sovereignty’ by virtue of his position as ‘part of the closest entourage of Russia’s military and political leadership’.
Dozens of criminal cases, including accusations of treason, have been launched by security forces against priests working for the Russian Orthodox Church.
Kirill appealed to clerical leaders worldwide to stop Ukraine’s moves against the church.
Patriarch Kirill is close to Putin (Picture: AFP via Getty Images)
A senior official in the Russian church said Kirill being placed on the list was ‘a step that is as ridiculous as it is predictable’.
Vladimir Legoida, responsible for ties with other churches, said Ukrainian authorities were guilty of ‘lawlessness and attempting to intimidate parishioners’.
This is all part of Ukraine’s campaign to uproot the influence of priests it alleges maintain close links to Russia and subvert Ukrainian society.
Parliament in Kyiv is considering a bill that would ban that branch of the Orthodox church, which has lost many of its parishioners since the war started.
The church says it severed all links to Russia in May 2022.
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He has been described as ‘an individual in hiding’.