Metropolitan Pavel accused of supporting Russian invasion in Ukraine.

The Ukrainian Security Service has accused Metropolitan Pavel, the abbot of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra monastery, of condoning Russia's invasion. Pavel rejected the claim and described it as politically driven. The dispute is part of a wider religious conflict between the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) and the Ukrainian government, which has cracked down on the UOC due to its historic ties to the Russian Orthodox Church. The UOC has insisted that it is loyal to Ukraine and has denounced the Russian invasion from the start. Meanwhile, Russian forces have been pressing their effort to capture the city of Bakhmut, but the Russian offensive has fizzled, according to the UK Ministry of Defence.