Kiev, July 22, Interfax - The Russian special services intend to use the
cross procession of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate)
to organize provocations, Vadim Skibitskiy, a representative of the
Main Intelligence Department of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, said.
"The Main Intelligence Department of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry
confirms the SBU information on an attempt by the Russian special
services to use the cross procession to destabilize the situation in
Ukraine. According to our information, the purpose of such actions is to
radicalize religious feud and aggravate division in society based on
religion," he told a briefing in Kiev on Friday.
According to Skibitskiy, the Russian special services intend to organize provocations against procession participants "involving criminal groups."
"There are plans to organize clashes near religious buildings and in places where many believers are located with their assistance. Special attention will be given to the information and psychological influence on the Ukrainian population by negative coverage of the events in the pro-Russian media," he said.
The intelligence official said a special role in the organization of the provocations is played by former officials, specifically, former interior minister Vitaly Zakharchenko and his authorized representative Viktor Zubritsky.
The All-Ukraine sacred procession with the prayer for peace in Ukraine started in the east of the country from the Svyatogorsk Monastery on July 3, and in the west of the country from the Pochaev Monastery on July 9. The participants in both processions will meet in Kiev at St. Vladimir Hill and will walk together to the Kiev Pechersk Laura, where a ceremonial service will be held on July 27, the eve of the celebration of Christianization of the Kievan Rus Day.
As reported, Ukrainian Verkhovnaya Rada Chairman Andrey Paruby said recently that among the participants in the sacred procession are not only civilians, but also provocateurs with banned symbols, and that the event itself will be used by the Kremlin for provocations on the streets of Kiev on July 26.
In turn, Metropolitan Onufry of Kiev and All Ukraine made a stand against the attempts to divide the Ukrainian citizens into 'patriots' and 'separatists.'
For his part, Vakhtang Kipshidze, deputy head of the Synodal Department for Church, Society and Media Relations, told Interfax-Religion that the attempts to use against the All-Ukraine sacred procession "political horror stories may be made only by those people who never participated in sacred processions and hold notions of the life of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church based on the fantasies understood only by themselves."
According to Skibitskiy, the Russian special services intend to organize provocations against procession participants "involving criminal groups."
"There are plans to organize clashes near religious buildings and in places where many believers are located with their assistance. Special attention will be given to the information and psychological influence on the Ukrainian population by negative coverage of the events in the pro-Russian media," he said.
The intelligence official said a special role in the organization of the provocations is played by former officials, specifically, former interior minister Vitaly Zakharchenko and his authorized representative Viktor Zubritsky.
The All-Ukraine sacred procession with the prayer for peace in Ukraine started in the east of the country from the Svyatogorsk Monastery on July 3, and in the west of the country from the Pochaev Monastery on July 9. The participants in both processions will meet in Kiev at St. Vladimir Hill and will walk together to the Kiev Pechersk Laura, where a ceremonial service will be held on July 27, the eve of the celebration of Christianization of the Kievan Rus Day.
As reported, Ukrainian Verkhovnaya Rada Chairman Andrey Paruby said recently that among the participants in the sacred procession are not only civilians, but also provocateurs with banned symbols, and that the event itself will be used by the Kremlin for provocations on the streets of Kiev on July 26.
In turn, Metropolitan Onufry of Kiev and All Ukraine made a stand against the attempts to divide the Ukrainian citizens into 'patriots' and 'separatists.'
For his part, Vakhtang Kipshidze, deputy head of the Synodal Department for Church, Society and Media Relations, told Interfax-Religion that the attempts to use against the All-Ukraine sacred procession "political horror stories may be made only by those people who never participated in sacred processions and hold notions of the life of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church based on the fantasies understood only by themselves."