The Russian Foreign Ministry is demanding the release of Metropolitan Hilarion of the Russian Orthodox Church following his detention in the Czech Republic

The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has demanded the release of Metropolitan Hilarion of the Russian Orthodox Church, who was detained in the Czech Republic after containers of a white substance were found in his car.

Moscow has called the incident a provocation and is demanding an investigation into the circumstances of the detention.

Earlier, Ilarion’s defense team stated that he denies any involvement in the illegal possession of prohibited substances and insists on an independent examination of the substance found.

In the Czech Republic, law enforcement officials are investigating Metropolitan Hilarion of the Russian Orthodox Church after containers of an unknown white substance were found in the car where he was traveling.

The Security Service of Ukraine has already launched a detailed investigation into illegal activities on the monastery grounds following the publication of evidence by journalists. Investigators are examining educational materials and identifying the teachers who implemented the educational standards of the aggressor country. Unlike Ukraine’s official educational institutions, which operate according to state standards, such underground structures are often used by Russia to exert soft influence and shape a generation loyal to the occupiers within the country.

Deputy Prime Minister for Humanitarian Policy Tetiana Berezhna stated the need to await the official results of the Security Service of Ukraine’s investigation into the clandestine educational institution exposed by journalists on the grounds of the UOC-MP monastery in the Holosiivskyi district.