Metropolitan Ionafan (Anatoliy Yeletskykh) of the Tulchyn Eparchy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Moscow Patriarchate was sentenced to five years in prison for circulating pro-Kremlin propaganda leaflets calling for government overthrow and border changes, and posting messages supporting Russian invaders on Russian Orthodox Church websites.

The priest had been circulating propaganda leaflets among the faithful, calling for an overthrow of the government and altering the country's borders.

The priest had been posting messages in support of Russian invaders and their actions on one of the websites of the Russian Orthodox Church.

The court found the cleric guilty on four counts: actions aimed at the violent change or overthrow of the constitutional order or at the seizure of state power; encroachment on the territorial integrity and inviolability of Ukraine; violation of the equality of citizens depending on their racial, national, regional belonging, religious beliefs, disability and other grounds; justification, recognition as legitimate, or denial of armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, and/or the glorification of its participants.

Metropolitan Ionafan was sentenced to five years in prison for publicly justifying Russia's invasion of Ukraine

The defendant distributed propaganda leaflets among churchgoers calling for seizure of power and change of Ukraine's state border

Ionafan posted publications on a Russian Orthodox Church website in support of Russian invaders and their war crimes