SBU Accuses Met. Onuphry of Opposing 'Canonical Independence'

His Beatitude Met. Onuphry. Photo: UOJ

KYIV — On Nov. 10, 2025, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) issued a statement accusing Met. Onuphry, Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), of “deliberately opposing the acquisition of canonical independence of the Ukrainian Church from the Moscow Patriarchate” and of maintaining ongoing ties with it.

As reported by UOJ-Ukraine, the SBU alleged that, despite Russia’s full-scale invasion, Met. Onuphry — who they identified by his secular name, Orest Berezovsky — “continues to support the policies of the Russian Orthodox Church and its leadership, in particular Pat. Kirill.”

The statement also recalled that, at the initiative of the SBU, the Ukrainian citizenship of Met. Onuphry had been officially revoked.

The portion of the statement pertaining to Met. Onuphry is published below:

"In particular, at the initiative of the Security Service, the Ukrainian citizenship of Orest Berezovsky, who is better known as the head of the UOC-MP Onuphry, was terminated.

According to the information available in the Security Service of Ukraine, Berezovsky (Onuphry) is in touch with the Moscow Patriarchate and deliberately opposed the receipt of canonical independence of the Ukrainian Church from the Moscow Patriarchate, whose representatives openly advocate Russian aggression against Ukraine. Despite the full-scale invasion, Berezovsky (Onuphry) actually continues to support the policy of the Russian Orthodox Church and its leadership, in particular Patriarch Kirill (Vladimir Gundyaev)."

Previously, UOJ reported that Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy had revoked the citizenship of Met. Onuphry.

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