Ukrainian Security Service officials arrive at Ukrainian Orthodox Church premises in 3 regions - media

MOSCOW. Dec 2 (Interfax) - Ukrainian Security Service officials showed up at a number of Ukrainian Orthodox Church premises in the Zhitomir, Rovno, and Zakarpattia (Trans-Carpathia) regions on Friday, Ukrainian media have reported.

The reports said the sites include the St. Nicholas Convent in Zakarpattia, the St. Anastasia Convent in Zhitomir and its hermitage (skete) in the Zhitomir district, the Iveron hermitage in the same district, as well as the Gorodok St. Nicholas Convent, the St. George Metochion, the Saints of Volyn Church, the Holy Resurrection Church, and the Holy Dormition Church in the Rovno region.

The Security Service's procedures are aimed, in particular, at "preventing the use of religious communities as Russian World cells," the reports said. Security Service officials are inspecting these premises to identify persons who might be engaged in activities aimed at damaging Ukraine's sovereignty and to discover banned objects, they said.

Ukrainian special services earlier conducted similar procedures at the Kiev Pechersk Lavra monastery, Ukrainian Orthodox Church sites in the Rovno and Chernovtsy regions, at the St. Cyril and Methodius Convent in the Zakarpattia region, and at the home of Metropolitan Jonathan of Tulchin and Bratslav in the Vinnitsa region.