The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) conducted searches at the house and office of the head of the pro-Russian Nashi party, banned in the country, Yevgeny Muraev, as well as at his relatives and close associates. The SBU said in a statement that weapons, cash, including in Russian rubles, computer equipment and smartphones were seized during the searches.
The searches were carried out as part of a criminal case on treason (Part 1, Article 111 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). Muraev himself is now hiding abroad. In April, Obozrevatel reported that Muraev, with the help of Russian special services, left for Russia through the territory of the Kiev region, which was occupied in early March.
According to the SBU, the theses of Russian propaganda were repeatedly disseminated on the airs of the Nash TV channel controlled by Muraev. Because of this, penalties were imposed on the channel.
According to sources of the Babel Telegram channel in law enforcement agencies, the SBU came with searches at 18 addresses associated with Muraev and his media manager Vladimir Granovsky (former general producer of the Nash TV channel). Two searches were carried out in Kharkiv, and 16 more in Kyiv. Muraev himself, according to journalists, fled to Vienna.
In May, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted a bill banning the activities of pro-Russian parties in Ukraine. In addition to the Nashi party, the Opposition Platform – For Life (OPZZh), the Sharia Party, the Opposition Bloc, the Left Opposition, the Union of Left Forces, the State, the Progressive Socialist Party were blacklisted. Ukraine”, “Socialist Party of Ukraine”, the party “Socialists” and “Vladimir Saldo Bloc”.
In November, the SBU carried out a series of searches at the homes of church officials, as well as in the churches of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP). In total, the SBU, together with the employees of the National Police and the National Guard, checked more than 350 church buildings and 850 people. So, on the 25th, SBU officers came with a search to the rector of the Pochaev Theological Seminary, Job, who was found to have Russian literature that “exalts imperialism,” and confiscated equipment. On November 23, the SBU reported that 2 million hryvnias in cash (3,285,497 rubles), $100,000, several thousand rubles, as well as "doubtful" citizens of Russia and pro-Russian books were found in the premises of the UOC-MP. Counterintelligence activities were carried out on the territories of the Holy Dormition Kiev-Pechersk Lavra in Kyiv, the Koretsky Holy Trinity Monastery and in the premises of the Sarnensko-Polesye diocese of the UOC in the Rivne region.
