Security Service of Ukraine searching Ukrainian Orthodox Church premises in Poltava region - media

MOSCOW. Dec 5 (Interfax) - Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) officials are conducting "counterintelligence measures" at Ukrainian Orthodox Church premises in the Poltava region on Monday, Ukrainian media reported.

The premises include the Savior-Transfiguration Mgar Monastery and the diocesan directorate of the Kremenchug and Lubny dioceses.

Law enforcement officials call their actions "systemic work to counter sabotage activities of the Russian special services," saying the purpose of the measures is "to prevent the use of religious communities as a 'Russian world' cell."

According to media reports, SBU officials, in collaboration with representatives of the Church, are inspecting the territories and premises, looking for people who may be involved in illegal activities detrimental to Ukraine's state sovereignty, as well as searching for prohibited objects.

The Ukrainian special services earlier conducted similar procedures at the Kiev Pechersk Lavra monastery, Ukrainian Orthodox Church sites in the Rovno, Zhitomir and Chernovtsky regions, in Zakarpattia (Trans-Carpathia), and also at the residence of Metropolitan Jonathan of Tulchin and Bratslav in the Vinnitsa region.