Can we call Moscow priests collaborators? The court made a decision in an interesting case.

The Dubno District Court of the Rivne region has established that the actions of the military chaplain and the rector of the village church do not constitute signs of an administrative offense. This was reported by the website 'Glavkom' citing social media.

According to the administrative protocol, on December 8, the military chaplain committed minor violations. He sprayed the phrase 'Collaborators of Russia' with black paint on the fence of the Holy Ascension Church. In addition, he removed the State flag of Ukraine that had been raised over the gates of the church. According to police, the priest's actions violate public morality and human dignity.

During the court session, the priest did not admit guilt. According to him, he believes that the church of the Moscow Patriarchate has no place in Ukraine. Therefore, he explains his actions on the church's fence as a desire to draw attention to the experiences and psychological state caused by the war.

Regarding the removal of the State flag, the chaplain believes that state symbols should not be located near institutions that serve Moscow. The flag he removed was handed over to Ukrainian soldiers. Furthermore, he promises to refrain from similar actions in the future.

As a result, the court stated that there was insufficient evidence of the military chaplain's guilt.

'...he acted out of love and respect for Ukraine and the Ukrainian army... The written decision of the court states that as a military chaplain and volunteer, he possesses a developed sense of justice that did not allow him to refrain from such actions. However, the court believes that this is not a manifestation of disregard for society,' the court's testimony reads.

According to the news portal 'Glavkom', the Kyiv Metropolis of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC MP) is experiencing another loss in court. The religious organization led by Metropolitan Onufriy failed to refute its ties to the Moscow Patriarchate once again.