15:38 22.07.2016

Ukrainian Intelligence: Russian security services to use Ukrainian Orthodox Church religious procession to Kyiv for provocations

2 min read
Ukrainian Intelligence: Russian security services to use Ukrainian Orthodox Church religious procession to Kyiv for provocations

Russian security services plan to use a sacred procession to Kyiv of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) to organize provocations, a representative of Main Intelligence Directorate of the Defense Ministry, Vadym Skibitsky has said.

"The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Defense Ministry confirms the information about the attempt of Russian intelligence to use the religious procession to destabilize the situation in Ukraine. According to our information, the purpose of such actions is radicalization of interconfessional hatred and deepening the split of society on the religious basis," Skibitsky said at a briefing in Kyiv on Friday.

Skibitsky said that Russian security services intend to organize provocations against the participants of the religious march "with the involvement of criminal groups."

"It is planned to organize collisions with their help near the houses of worship and crowded places of believers. Special attention will be focused on information and psychological influence on the Ukrainian population due to negative coverage of events in the pro-Russian media," Skibitsky said.

Skibitsky stressed that these actions are aimed at destabilizing the internal situation in the country, while "the army restrains the aggressor burst into our state in the east of Ukraine."

"In light of continuing aggression, we appeal to all citizens, including journalists, with an appeal to prevent opening of the second Russian information front against our country and our people."

It was reported that an All-Ukrainian religious procession of peace, love and prayer, organized by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (of the Moscow Patriarchate), began on July 3. On July 27, on the eve of the celebration of the Baptism of Rus-Ukraine, participants of the two columns intend to meet in Kyiv, on the Volodymyrska Hirka (St. Volodymyr Hill) and walk together towards the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra where a prayer ceremony is due to take place.

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