The Security Service of Ukraine announced in absentia the announcement of suspicion to Nazar Shkila, a cleric of the UOC-MP, who advocated the accession of Kherson region to russia and painted the entrance stele in the colors of the russian "tricolor". According to the SBU, during the occupation of Kherson, he supported the occupiers and called on the faithful to vote in a pseudo-referendum for the region's "accession" to russia. Later, Gauleiter Saldo approved him as the head of a local occupation organization disguised as a "public youth association".

Shkila, while holding this position, gathered like-minded people and painted a stele at the entrance to the then-occupied Kherson in the colors of the russian flag. He spoke about his actions on russian central television channels. After the liberation of the Kherson region, Shkila, together with his father, the rector of the local church of the UOC-MP, fled to the city of Stavropol in russia.

Based on the evidence collected, SBU investigators served the collaborator subdeacon a notice of suspicion in absentia under three articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine: collaboration, denial of russia's armed aggression against Ukraine and encroachment on the territorial integrity and inviolability of Ukraine. At the same time, measures are being taken to bring the cleric to justice, and the issue of qualifying the actions of his father, who is also involved in activities in favor of the enemy, is being resolved.

According to Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is presumed innocent of committing a crime and shall not be subjected to criminal punishment until his or her guilt is proved by law and established by a court verdict of guilty. Earlier, the Security Service conducted searches at the home of Metropolitan Luke of Zaporizhzhia and Melitopol of the UOC-MP, who was also notified of suspicion.