An internet provocateur from Cherkasy praised Kadyrov while hiding in the monasteries of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate).

The Security Service of Ukraine detained a pro-Kremlin provocateur who had been hiding in the monasteries of the UOC (MP) for over two years while attempting to flee abroad. This was reported by the SBU on Wednesday, January 8.

The detained individual is a 20-year-old resident of Cherkasy, who actively supported the occupiers on social media after the onset of Russia's full-scale invasion. He posted messages endorsing the Russians, praised Kadyrov and the militant groups under his command fighting against Ukraine, and spread false information about Ukrainian soldiers, urging them to lay down their arms.

In July 2022, the man was suspected under Article 436-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (justification of armed aggression by the Russian Federation and glorification of its participants). However, a day before a preventive measure was chosen, he fled his home.

According to the SBU, he initially hid in a women's monastery of the UOC (MP) in the Cherkasy region, and then moved to the Ternopil and Chernivtsi regions.

In Bukovina, the provocateur again found refuge in a UOC (MP) church, working there as a laborer in exchange for shelter. At the same time, he was developing illegal routes for crossing the border into the EU and even began learning a foreign language in preparation for his escape.

The SBU apprehended the suspect near a men's monastery in Bukovina. He is currently in custody. He faces up to 8 years in prison with confiscation of property.

The operation was conducted by SBU officers in the Cherkasy region under the procedural guidance of the regional prosecutor's office.

Recall that on January 6, the SBU exposed an agent network of Russian special services that planned a mass terrorist attack among the military in the Kyiv region.

On October 1, a Ukrainian Armed Forces soldier was uncovered in the Dnipropetrovsk region for passing information to Russia about the movement of Western equipment and the locations of F-16 aircraft.