SBU inspects ROC-run company that supplies propaganda materials to Ukraine

The General Directorate of the SBU, Ukraine's Intelligence Service, in Kyiv and the Kyiv region received temporary access to the files and documents of Sofrino (Russia) through the Customs checkpoint “Specialized” of the Kyiv City Customs of the State Fiscal Service.

This is reported by Glavkom with reference to the decision of the Pechersk district court of Kyiv, which was made public on April 24.

The law enforcement took an interest in all international postal items of the company Sofrino from Moscow region, which is run by the Russian Orthodox Church. According to materials of the case last year, printed materials in the form of greeting cards from the head of the ROC Kirill (Gundyaev) were imported through the Kyivan customs. The text of the above-mentioned leaflets, which are planned to be distributed among the bishops, clergy and believers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Moscow Patriarchate, contains appeals and statements aimed at forming among the said population a growing mood of hostility, hatred for the Ukrainian-speaking population and other religious denominations.

The sender of these printed materials is a legal entity Sofrino (Moscow region, Pushkin district, Sofrino village, Patriarch Pimen str., 3).

The website of this Russian company states that it is the main manufacturer of church utensils for the Russian Orthodox Church. On September 16, 2010, by the decree of the Patriarch of Moscow Kirill, the staff of the enterprise Sofrino was awarded the Order of the Russian Orthodox Church of St. John the Blessed Prince Daniel of Moscow of 1st Degree.

The petition of the SBU adds that access to these documents is granted as part of criminal proceedings (Part 2 of Article 110 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine) following the events that took place on July 17, 2016 in Kyiv. Then, participants of a "Cross Procession" and personally head of religious organizations Union of Orthodox Brotherhoods of Ukraine and Brotherhood of St. Archangel Michael of the UOC performed the anthem of the Russian Empire “God, protect the king” near the National Reserve “St Sophia of Kyiv” and yelled “May the second Russia resurrect.”

In addition, the participants in the action held the symbols of the Russian Empire, portraits of the Russian Tsar Nicholas II, and also sat on the grave of the first Patriarch of Ukraine.