In Mykolaiv, a priest was placed on a wanted list for organizing a fundraiser for the Russian military

In Mykolaiv, a priest suspected of financing the Russian military was taken into custody in absentia. According to investigators, he organized a long-standing effort to collect money and equipment for Russian troops. 

The Center for Public Investigations examined the details of the case.

On October 26, 2026, the Central District Court of Mykolaiv arrested the archpriest of the Voronezh Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church and rector of the Tikhvin-Onuphrius Church in Voronezh.

According to the investigation, from November 2022 to June 2024, the priest posted calls on the social network VKontakte to raise money for the Russian army. Through fundraisers organized at the church, he asked people to purchase quadcopters, thermal imagers, vehicles, generators, communication devices, military gear, and equipment for medical units.

In particular, his posts mentioned assistance for Russian paratroopers, the “Nevsky” volunteer unit, and units of the 20th Army. The priest also reported on the vehicles and equipment that had been purchased, which, according to him, were sent to the front lines.

Investigators included the posts, witness testimony, and expert analysis in the case file. On October 5, 2026, a warrant was issued for the man’s arrest. The court deemed the suspicion well-founded and agreed that there was a risk he might flee from the investigation. 

As reported by Intent, from 2007 to 2017, the man resided permanently in the Mykolaiv region and served as a full-time clergyman in the Mykolaiv and Voznesensk dioceses of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. In 2017, he left for Russia and settled in Voronezh. The SBU notified him of the charges in September 2026. 

Investigators also determined that the man attempted to use his family ties in Ukraine to indirectly influence representatives of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and promote Russia’s interests within religious circles.

Анна Літман