The deputy head of the Department for External Church Relations of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Archpriest Mykola Danilevich, has commented on the searches conducted by the Ukrainian Security Service in his house on April 12, 2024. The priest is convinced that in this way pressure is exerted on his direct activity in the sphere of development of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church abroad. The corresponding comment was published on the website of the DECR of the UOC.

“On April 12, 2024, SSU officers conducted a search at my place of residence in the Kiev region. I am suspected of inciting religious hatred and in justification and glorification of Russian aggression, which are allegedly justified by my publications in the Telegram channel against the seizure of UOC churches back in 2022. In the near future the issue of selecting a measure of restraint will be decided. I consider the criminal prosecution against me to be political and related to my work in the Department of External Church Relations of the UOC. I reject any accusations regarding my allegedly illegal activities and consider them groundless and absurd, and from the materials of the handed-in notice of suspicion there is no corpus delicti provided by the articles incriminated against me. At the same time I would like to note that my patriotic position is known to everyone,” – comments the archpriest.

Father Nicholas is sure that by imposing a preventive measure on him, the SSU is trying to restrict his access to travel abroad and isolate him from activities for the foreign parishes of the UOC.

“In addition, I believe that the delivery of suspicion is a step for further pressure to isolate me through the election of a preventive measure from performing my duties on international activities and interference in the activities of a religious organization in order to prevent my activities as a representative of the UOC”, – writes the priest.

The archpriest paid special attention to the “evidence” found in his house, which, according to the SBU officers, should testify to the presence of Danilevich of Russian citizenship.

“Regarding the photo of a library card to the Russian Historical Library in my name. Yes, I was a student and studied between 1998 and 2003 at the Theological Academy in Moscow, and had a library card as a student. This is a fact of my biography and there is nothing illegal about it. Regarding the photo of the insurance (pension) certificate from the Russian Federation with a hint that I allegedly have Russian citizenship. I do not and never had Russian citizenship, as I have already said earlier . I studied and lived in Russia long before the war and, as a foreigner, had the appropriate registration and insurance in this country. Also today millions of Ukrainians, who as refugees went abroad, in particular to European countries, also draw up similar documents in the countries of stay, while remaining citizens of Ukraine. Regarding the photo of the document from the diplomatic academy of the Russian Federation about the completion of a short course in English. It was an ordinary course of English language of the initial level, which I attended and which was physically read at the mentioned educational institution, and no more,” – said Danilevich.

We will remind, on April 12, 2024, the Security Service of Ukraine initiated searches at the deputy head of the Department for External Church Relations of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church Archpriest Mykola Danilevich. The priest is accused that in 2017 he, as part of a delegation of the UOC, traveled to Istanbul to dissuade Patriarch Bartholomew from the idea of recognizing and presenting autocephaly to the former UOC-KP and UAOC, later merged into the OCU.