The European Union targeted the senior-most cleric of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, in its sixth instalment of sanctions against Russia. The 75-year old priest, Vladimir Gundayev from St Petersburg, in his recent sermons "blessed the Russian soldiers fighting for the Russian World and Holy Russia in Ukraine", a draft EU sanctions the EUobserver reported.
A draft of the EU sanctions note states that “Patriarch Kirill is therefore responsible for supporting or implementing, actions or policies which undermine or threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine, as well as stability and security in Ukraine,” Politico reported. It has been reported that he has called for the spiritual purification of Ukraine.
The Patriarch of Moscow and all of Russia will now be listed along with rapists and torturers. The EU's recent list of 58, who has been blacklisted includes mostly military commanders who face visa bans and asset freezes. The sanctions are yet to be finalised. If implemented, the sanctions also target the Sberbank, Russia's top lender, and two other banks, the Credit Bank of Moscow and the Russian Agricultural Bank. It will disconnect these institutions from the Swift international payments grid.
The sanctions could also take off the air, three Russian propaganda channels-- Rossiya 24, Rossiya RTR, and TV Centre International. Accountancy and PR services for Russian state entities will see bans, and so will sales of EU-based real estate bought with Russian money.