Metropolitan of the Russian Orthodox Church put on the wanted list in Ukraine

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has put Metropolitan Tikhon (Shevkunov) of Simferopol and Crimea on the wanted list. TASS reports this with reference to the databases of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine.

The clergyman is accused of publicly supporting a special military operation (SVO), as well as allegedly encroaching on the territorial integrity of Ukraine.

On September 11, the SBU filed charges in absentia against the metropolitan under two articles of the country’s Criminal Code. As evidence for the prosecution, the department cited the appointment of the clergyman in 2023 as Metropolitan of Simferopol and Crimea.

In November 2017, the Metropolitan was included in the database of the Ukrainian website “Peacemaker”. The founders of the resource accused Shevkunov of “crimes against Ukraine” and spreading “Russian propaganda.”