Ukraine’s Security Service conducts ‘counterintelligence measures’ in two monasteries in Rivne region

Ukraine’s Security Service has announced that it is conducting “counterintelligence measures” in two monasteries in the Rivne region, namely the monastery of the Volyn Icon of the Mother of God, which is part of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Moscow patriarchate, and the Koretsky Holy Trinity Monastery (stauropegial monastery, directly subordinate to the Moscow Patriarch). The statement was published by the agency on Facebook.

“These measures are being carried out jointly with the National Police and the National Guard as part of the Security Service’s systematic work to combat the subversive activities of Russia’s special services in Ukraine,” the statement said.

Russia’s armed aggression has increases the risk of terrorist acts, sabotage, and hostage-taking, especially in crowded places, the agency says.

These measures are being taken to prevent the use of the religious community as the center of the “Russian world”, to check if the monasteries are hiding sabotage groups and weapons, and also to protect the population from provocations and terrorist acts, reads the statement.

The Security Service conducted a search at the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, a monastery founded in the 11th century and located in the heart of the country’s capital, earlier today.