Patriarch Kirill, the head of the church, is a staunch backer of Russian President Vladimir Putin and has been accused of using his subordinates in Ukraine and other countries to spread Russian propaganda.
Metropolitan Arsenii, the abbot of the Sviatohirsk Lavra of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP), who spread information about the locations of units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, has been taken into custody.
Security Service detains abbot of Sviatohirsk Lavra of Moscow-linked church yahoo.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from yahoo.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
According to the investigation, Metropolitan Arsenii, who served in the Svyatohirsk Lavra in Donetsk Oblast, allegedly told parishioners the coordinates of Ukrainian military checkpoints in the Kramatorsk district in Donetsk Oblast during a liturgy.