SBU notifies Putin's proxy in Melitopol of suspicion over repression of believers

Notification of suspicion in absentia

The Security Service of Ukraine has notified Artem Sharlai of suspicion. He headed the so-called department for working with religious organisations in the Russian Federation's occupation administration in the temporarily occupied part of Zaporizhzhia Oblast. This activity was linked to the organised persecution of believers.

Position in the occupation structure and links to Moscow

According to the security service's data, in 2024 Sharlai received the status of a "trusted person" of Vladimir Putin during the presidential elections in the Russian Federation. The investigation established that since 2014 he had supported Russia-controlled groups in eastern Ukraine, and after the start of the full-scale invasion, he joined the occupation administration in Melitopol.

Mechanism of repressions against clergy and parishioners

According to the investigation materials, Sharlai participated in organising the persecution of those religious communities that resisted the occupation authorities or refused to join the dioceses of the Russian Orthodox Church. He prepared lists of pro-Ukrainian believers for the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation. This information was subsequently used to carry out raids against clergy and members of church communities.

Pressure methods applied

According to Ukrainian law enforcement, during raids, people were kidnapped on the streets or from their residential premises. The detained individuals were illegally held in occupation prisons and subjected to torture, including physical violence and suffocation.

Legal qualification and investigation status