Oleksandr Luniehov, archpriest of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) and rector of the Church of St John the Merciful in Pysmenne village, Vasylkivka district, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, was sentenced to five years in prison for justifying and denying Russia's armed aggression against Ukraine.
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The court found the defendant guilty of justifying, legitimising and denying Russia's armed aggression against Ukraine and glorifying its participants
The clergyman repeatedly posted comments under pro-Russian videos on YouTube after Russia's full-scale aggression began
During his sermons, the priest would justify the full-scale Russian invasion and the occupation of parts of Ukraine's territory
In personal conversations with parishioners, he would try to persuade them to move to Russia or to temporarily occupied oblasts of Ukraine so they could assist the Russian occupiers
The archpriest eagerly anticipated the occupation of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast
The SSU detained him in September 2022 in his own home
The defendant did not admit his guilt during the court hearing
A resident of Nikopol was detained without bail after being served a notice of suspicion for murdering deputy mayor Vitalii Zhuravlev by shooting his car and throwing an explosive device on February 8, 2024.
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Extracted: 2026-07-18T17:02:28.151Z
Source story: 7441648