The Russian Orthodox Church said on Tuesday that searches by Ukrainian security services at an Orthodox monastery in the capital Kyiv were “an act of intimidation,” Reuters reported.

Russian Patriarch KirillPhoto: Valery Melnikov / Sputnik / Profimedia Images

“Like many other cases of persecution of believers in Ukraine since 2014, this act of intimidation of believers will almost certainly go unnoticed by the so-called international human rights community,” said church spokesman Volodymyr Legoyda.

Ukraine stated that the searches in the complex of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra were carried out as part of counterintelligence measures and were carried out in accordance with the law.

The video from this monastery shows the service of Russia and “her good”.

Russia invaded Ukraine in February. Patriarch Kirill, head of the church in Russia, has supported what Moscow calls its “special military operation” in Ukraine.