Opposition Bloc leader threatened Patriarch Bartholomew with civil war in case the Tomos is issued

Vadym Novynsky, Opposition Bloc leader, said that “a civil war for churches will burst out” in case the autocephaly of the Ukrainian Church is provided. He said this in an interview for LB.ua.

“I have made it clear to His Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew: if a kind of document is ever provided, whatever it might be, even the most meaningless, with no details in principle, but if any document is provided, then we will have a civil war in our country,” he said.

Novinsky also intimidates that “the war for the churches will be waged in every city, every village,” thus calling the representatives of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-KP “bandits and invaders”.

In addition, the MP expressed his intention to personally protect the churches. “I do not know whether I will organize something or not, but I will definitely defend our sanctuary – the Holy Dormition Lavra of Kyiv. I will personally stand up for it,” Novynsky said.

When asked in what manner he intends to defend the Lavra, the MP refused to answer directly, saying only that “the main weapon of a believer is prayer.”

“I think, with God's help and with the help of the Kyiv-Pechersk Saints, we will be able to defend it,” he added.

As it was reported, Vadym Novynskyy was previously a citizen of the Russian Federation. On May 29, 2012, President Viktor Yanukovych, at the request of Petro Poroshenko, the then Minister of Economy, issued a decree granting Novynskyy the Ukrainian citizenship.

In the extraordinary parliamentary elections in 2014, he passed to the parliament in the ranks of the Opposition Bloc.

On November 3, 2016, Yuriy Lutsenko, the Prosecutor General of Ukraine submitted an appeal to the Parliament of Ukraine to allow bringing Novinsky to criminal responsibility. According to the Prosecutor General, Novynskyy was an accomplice in the abduction of the personal assistant to the late Primate of the UOC Volodymyr, Archbishop Oleksandr (Drabinko) of Pereyaslav-Khmelnytskyy and Vishneve. Pre-trial investigation against Novinsky is held simultaneously on the basis of three articles of the Criminal Code, which threatens him with an up to 10 years imprisonment. On December 8, 2016, the Ukrainian parliament approved the submission by the Prosecutor General agreeing to bring Novynskyy to criminal responsibility.

As a result, on December 28, 2016, the Parliament of Ukraine deprived Novynskyy of immunity. This was reported by UNIAN.