Kathrine Frich
The agency claims the alleged attempt was intended to derail ongoing negotiations between Russia and the United States over the war in Ukraine.
Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) says it has uncovered new evidence in what it calls a Ukrainian plot to assassinate Metropolitan Tikhon Shevkunov, the cleric widely described as President Vladimir Putin’s spiritual mentor.
Alleged assassination plot
In a statement released on its website, the FSB said searches and interrogations conducted on Tuesday among members of the suspects’ inner circle produced “new evidence” of their involvement.
“Following the investigations undertaken, information was obtained about the participation of other people in this crime,” the agency added.
According to the FSB, the purpose of the alleged attack was “to sabotage peace negotiations.”
Officials in Moscow claim Ukrainian intelligence planned the operation believing that killing the influential metropolitan would force Russia to abandon talks with Washington.
Arrests and confessions
Two clergymen from Moscow’s Sretensky Monastery were arrested earlier this year in connection with the case:
Denis Popovich, a Ukrainian national who served as Metropolitan Tikhon’s assistant, and Nikita Ivankovich, a Russian citizen accused of helping plan a bomb attack at the monastery.
The FSB says both men confessed during questioning, claiming they had been recruited by Ukrainian intelligence “under threats and coercion.”
Popovich allegedly told investigators that Ukrainian agents threatened to kill his family if he refused to cooperate.
“They confessed that they were recruited in mid-2024 to assassinate Metropolitan Tikhon,” the FSB said.
“In December they received the explosives and planned to commit the crime during a visit by the mayor of Moscow, after which they were to flee the country using false passports.”
Financial links to Ukraine alleged
The FSB also claims that the two suspects have been sending money to the Ukrainian Armed Forces since 2022.
No independent verification of these claims has been made, and Kyiv has not issued an official response.
According to Russian officials, the investigation is ongoing and could lead to additional arrests.
Who is Metropolitan Tikhon?
Metropolitan Tikhon Shevkunov, born Georgy Shevkunov, has long been regarded as one of the most influential figures in the Russian Orthodox Church and a close spiritual confidant of Vladimir Putin.
Since 2023 he has served as Metropolitan of Simferopol and Crimea, and sits on several government councils, including those overseeing culture, the arts, and the regulation of Russia’s alcohol industry.
Russian state media have frequently referred to him as “Putin’s confessor,” a title he has never officially confirmed.
His close association with the Kremlin has made him a symbolic target in Russia’s portrayal of Ukraine’s alleged plots against senior officials and church figures.
Sources: Ziare.com, FSB, Newsweek, Reuters, Associated Press
This article is made and published by Kathrine Frich, who may have used AI in the preparation
