The Czech government has made the head of the Russian Orthodox Church the first person on its national sanctions list due to his support for Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky said on April 26. Patriarch Kirill, 76, was listed by his civil name, Vladimir Mikhailovich Gundyayev, on the sanctions roster, which is posted on the Foreign Ministry's website. The sanctions mean he is barred from entry into the Czech Republic and banned from any financial transactions with Czechs. "His frequent public remarks supporting the war in Ukraine, justifying atrocities committed by Russian troops there, those are all clear evidence that can be publicly found," Lipavsky said. To read the original story by Reuters, click here.
Czechs Put Russian Patriarch Kirill On Sanctions List Over Comments On War In Ukraine
Patriarch Kirill and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu in 2020.