Ukrainian law enforcement officers charged former lawmaker and businessman Vadym Novynskyi with high treason and incitement to religious hatred in absentia, the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) said.
The SBI didn't mention the suspect's name, but the description and the video made it clear that this was Novynskyi.
Novynskyi is an ex-lawmaker from the pro-Russian Opposition Bloc, which was banned in Ukraine shortly after the start of Russia's full-scale war, and sponsor of the Moscow-backed church in Ukraine.
For years, Novynskyi was listed among the richest Ukrainians, with Forbes estimating his wealth at $1.4 billion in the spring of 2023.
According to the investigation, Novynskyi has been publicly promoting Russian narratives since Moscow's invasion in 2014.
"The MP tried to form anti-government and pro-Russian sentiments in Ukrainian society, justify Russian aggression, etc.," the SBI said.
Law enforcement officials called Novynskyi a "handler" of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) in Ukraine. In December 2022, Ukraine imposed sanctions against him and other leaders of the Russia-affiliated Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
The former MP followed the instructions of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, maintained close ties with him for a long time, and was hierarchically subordinate to him, the statement read.
After the start of the full-scale invasion, Novynskyi resigned from Ukraine's parliament and fled abroad. He continues "to assist Russia in conducting subversive information activities," the SBI said.
If detained and convicted, he might face up to 15 years in prison with or without confiscation of property.
Kateryna Denisova
(Updated: )
