UKRAINE: Arrest warrant for pro-Russian billionaire Orthodox priest Vadim Novinskyi
By Willy Fautré, Director of Human Rights Without Frontiers
HRWF (29.09.2025) – On 15 September 2025, the Pechersk District Court of Kyiv decided, as a preventive measure, to arrest and detain Vadym Novynsky, the UOC-MP protodeacon (a chief deacon, a senior position within the Ukrainian Orthodox Church/ Moscow Patriarchate) and former member of the Ukrainian parliament, the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) reported. The SBI called the protodeacon “the curator of the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine.”
What is known about Vadym Novynskyi?
Vadim Novinsky was born in 1963 in the city of Staraya Rusa, Novgorod region (Russia).
He is one of the leading Ukrainian oligarchs. He was elected three times to the Ukrainian parliament. In 2013 as a self-nominated candidate, in 2014 and 2019 on the list of the pro-Russian political party “Opposition Bloc” banned since 2022. He is the founder of Smart-Holding, a Ukrainian industrial and investment group owned by Vadym Novynskyi. He is also a key business partner of Rinat Akhmetov in the mining and metallurgical industry (“Metinvest”). It is to be noted that Akhmetov is the owner and president of the Ukrainian football club FC Shakhtar Donetsk. According to Forbes, in 2025, Akhmetov was ranked 390th on the list of the richest people in the world with a fortune of $7.9 billion.
Vadym Novynskyi only received Ukrainian citizenship in 2012 from Ukrainian pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych elected at that time on the list of the pro-Russian “Party of Regions” banned since 2023.
At the time of acquiring Ukrainian citizenship, Vadym Novynskyi ranked 2nd on the list of the 200 richest people in Ukraine ($4.373 billion) according to Focus magazine.
In Ukraine, Novinskyi is called an “Orthodox oligarch” because he actively supports and sponsors the UOC-MP, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. In 2020, he was ordained as a deacon by UOC-MP Metropolitan Onuphry, according to Dialog.ua.
On 23 February 2022, one day after the start of the war, President Zelensky gathered about 50 representatives of large Ukrainian businesses and asked them for financial help. According to Forbes Ukraine magazine, the Vadym Novynskyi Foundation provided $7 million for humanitarian assistance. The press service of Smart-Holding gave some details about its contribution: medical equipment and medicines (UAH 67 million), food (UAH 48 million), evacuation of refugees (UAH 21 million).
In May 2025, the Glavkom publication, citing a press conference by President Zelensky, reported that Vadym Novynskyi belonged to a group of oligarchs and former members of the Ukrainian parliament who threatened Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his family. On behalf of the head of the Kremlin, they had allegedly handed him over ultimatums to surrender.
Novynskyi called Zelensky’s words a “gross slanderous attack” and denied such a step.
Novynskyi a billionaire who is the most influential supporter of the UOC-MP
Novinskyi was repeatedly accused of agitating against the granting of autocephaly to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) in 2019, which, in his opinion, meant the total separation from the Moscow Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church
On 12 September 2021, he took part in the solemn liturgy in honor of the 800th anniversary of the birth of the national hero of Russia, Prince Alexander Nevsky, with Patriarch Kirill in the Holy Trinity Cathedral of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra in St Petersburg (Russia).
In 2021, Vadym Novynskyi moved down to the 8th position in the ranking of the richest Ukrainians. His fortune was then estimated at $1.4 billion.
Novynskyi himself said on the air of the Russian Orthodox TV channel SPAS , added to one of the EU sanctions lists, that he was ordained a deacon by the head of the UOC-MP, Metropolitan Onufriy, on 7 April 2020. However, the deacon’s oath states that a clergyman cannot engage in political activities and join a political party but at that time, he was still a member of the Ukrainian parliament.
Indeed, it is only on early July 2022 that Novynskyi announced his resignation of his mandate of deputy in the Ukrainian parliament and his plans to focus on humanitarian projects, the development of the national economy and the restoration of destroyed churches.
In early April 2023, Novynskyi held a religious service in the largest Russian Orthodox church in Zurich, the Church of the Resurrection of Christ. According to the correspondent of Radio Svoboda, Ukrainian flags and a portrait of Zelenskyy were then hanging around the church during the service.
Novynskyi said that he does not plan to return to Ukraine because several criminal cases have been opened against him.
On every occasion, he publicly criticizes the policy of the Ukrainian government regarding its conflictual relations with the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC-MP)
Sanctions and criminal prosecution
In 2022, the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine imposed sanctions on Novynskyi for supporting the actions and policies of the Russian Federation that undermine and threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine, as well as its stability and security. In response, Novynskyi said that he would appeal this decision in Ukrainian and international courts.
In May 2023, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) seized Novynskyi’s hidden assets worth more than UAH 10.5 billion (about €216 million), including a hotel complex in the center of Kyiv, the Ochakiv sea commercial port, the premises of an agricultural holding, and shopping centers in various regions of Ukraine.
In the same year, the SBU seized Novynskyi’s property worth more than UAH 3.5 billion (about €72,5 million). The list of blocked assets included corporate rights to 40 Ukrainian enterprises and 30 gas wells. The SBU also seized Novynskyi’s assets worth more than UAH 144 million (around €3 million). 18 million cubic meters of gas, which Novynskyi’s companies stored in the storage facilities of JSC Ukrtransgaz and tried to alienate in favor of third parties to avoid sanctions of the National Security and Defense Council, were also seized.
According to the investigation, from the very beginning of Russia’s armed aggression against Ukraine in 2014, Novynskyi has been promoting Russian narratives through interviews in the media, public speeches, as well as in posts on his website and social networks. He is also accused of trying to spread anti-government and pro-Russian sentiments in Ukrainian society, justify Russian aggression, etc.
In January 2025, the State Bureau of Investigation, in cooperation with the SBI, notified Novynskyi that he is under suspicion of high treason and incitement to religious hatred (Part 1 of Article 111 and Part 2 of Article 161 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
According to the investigation, Novynskyi was in direct contact with the Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Kirill and used religious communities under his authority to spread Russian propaganda in EU countries.
In early February 2025, the State Financial Monitoring Service brought to light Novynskyi’s participation in various schemes for financing a charitable foundation, religious parishes and church parishes of the UOC-MP with funding coming from the Russian Federation.
In June 2025, the SBI, in cooperation with the Security Service of Ukraine, also notified Novynskyi that he is suspected of massive tax evasion (Art. 212 Part 3 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine) for not paying personal tax income in the amount of more than UAH 4.3 billion (more than €88 million).
On 15 September 2025, the court issued a measure of restraint in the form of detention against Vadym Novynskyi in absentia.
Novynskyi is nowadays officially living “outside Ukraine”…
