Today, the court in Kyiv made a decision on house arrest for two months and a ban on addressing the faithful for Metropolitan Pavel, abbot of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra monastery, who is accused of supporting Russian aggression against Ukraine.

Earlier today, Metropolitan Pavel stated that he was served with a notice of initiation of proceedings due to suspicion that he is responsible for inciting inter-religious hatred and cooperation with Russia. Then members of the Ukrainian Security Agency searched the premises where the metropolitan lives. The Ukrainian Orthodox Church announced that they also invited the metropolitan to a hearing at noon local time.

In front of the court today, he stated that it was a "political case" and he was never on the side of aggression.

I am against aggression. Now I am in Ukraine – this is my country, says Metropolitan Pavel.

The head of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra said that everything that is happening now is a persecution of the church.