The abbot of the Sviatohirsk Lavra, Metropolitan Arseniy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate), has been issued a new charge — for justifying Russian aggression and glorifying the Russian army. He has once again been taken into custody.
In the Irpin region, Metropolitan Arseniy is actively supported by Liudmyla Haina — the godmother of former Irpin mayor Oleksandr Markushyn. On social media, she promotes pro-Russian narratives, widely publicizing both the cleric himself and pro-Russian media resources.
The official SBU statement about the separatist Arseniy was called “fake news” by Markushyn’s godmother.
According to the investigation, in May–June 2022 Arseniy, during public speeches, accused the Armed Forces of Ukraine of destroying churches and causing the deaths of clergymen, while denying the fact of Russian aggression. Moreover, he is suspected of disclosing information about the location of Ukrainian troops.
It should be recalled that the pro-Russian media outlet Pershyi Kozatskyi (“First Cossack”) was previously sanctioned by the President of Ukraine. Liudmyla Haina actively shared its posts in the Irpin area.
As for Markushyn himself — his pro-Russian ties have long been noted. His close associate and main contractor for Irpin’s reconstruction, Serhii Rosstalnyi, is a former aide to ex–Party of Regions MP Nestor Shufrych. Markushyn’s PR specialist, Taisiia Yusupova, has a “family background” linked to her ex-husband — the founder of the Revival of Donbas credit union from the occupied city of Alchevsk. Meanwhile, Markushyn’s adviser, Valerii Stepaniuk, has shared posts from pro-Kremlin Telegram channels.
The former mayor himself has also been implicated in a scandal involving the appropriation of Irpin assets belonging to separatist Yevhen Kharmyshev from Mariupol.