ST. PETERSBURG METROPOLIA DENIES ITS PRIEST PARTICIPATED IN WAR IN UKRAINE
Interfax-Religiia, 22 January 2015
Artemy Egurnov, a priest of the St. Petersburg metropolia, did not participate in armed conflict in the Donbass.
"The press service of the St. Petersburg metropolia asks Russian and Ukrainian news media, and also bloggers, to remove or refute materials about the participation of Priest Artemy Egurnov in the conflict in Ukraine, because they mislead readers and increase hatred and division," the statement of the press service of the metropolia, which was posted on its website, says.
Previously information about a "mission" of the priest to Luhansk appeared in a number of Russian and Ukrainian news media. These materials were accompanied by photographs in which he is depicted with a weapon in his hands. One of the pictures is inscribed: "Ukraine. Luhansk. Chapaev Street."
In this regard, the metropolia emphasized that
Father Artemy did not leave the boundaries of the diocese in those
days on which the photographs are dated. On 15 January he visited
a strikeball club with his sons, where the photos were made that
were posted on the priest's page in a social network. (tr. by PDS,
posted 22 January 2015)
Background story:
St.
Petersburg priest challenges rules against combat activity
January 20, 2015
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