Oleksiy Danilov

Oleksii Danilov

Date of birth: September 7, 1962

Former Deputy Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine (July 23 – October 3, 2019); former Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine (2019–2024).

While serving as Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, Oleksii Danilov actively took part in a campaign of persecution against the clergy and believers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC).

Danilov repeatedly took the liberty of publicly expressing hate speech toward Orthodox Christians.

September 18, 2020 Danilov called church processions “an effective instrument of Russia’s hybrid war” and warned organizers of peace forums of criminal liability.

The reason for Danilov’s statements was the peace forum “People of Peace,” organized by the Church at the Sviatohirsk Lavra and aimed at seeking peaceful solutions to the war.

“I would like to remind the organizers of various ‘peace forums’ about the criminal responsibility for anti-state activities and note that the NSDC Office of Ukraine is closely monitoring the situation in the state on the eve of the elections, while the Ukrainian law enforcement agencies will react to any attempts to undermine the internal political situation,” he emphasized.
(Source: UOJ)

November 23, 2022 Danilov stated that searches at the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra were linked to suspicions that within the UOC there allegedly “may be people who work for Russia.”
(Source: UOJ)

January 27, 2023 In an interview with Radio Liberty, Danilov claimed that UOC clergy “kiss Putin on the forehead and cross themselves before Gundyaev.”

In addition, the NSDC Secretary criticized the allocation of land to UOC communities for the construction of churches and monasteries.

“And what do you want – that we turn a blind eye to the fact that they kiss Putin on the forehead and cross themselves before Gundiaev? We will not tolerate this. Moreover, I can say that since 1991 enormous mistakes were made when a huge number of land plots were granted precisely to this institution. This happened almost throughout Ukraine. This is not their property.”

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December 1, 2022 A decision of the NSDC introducing special personal economic and other restrictive sanctions against representatives of the UOC clergy was put into effect.

As Secretary of the NSDC, Danilov approved the imposition of sanctions against citizens of Ukraine, which constitutes a violation of the law.

(Source: Office of the President of Ukraine)

December 11, 2022 Another NSDC decision on the application of special personal economic and other restrictive sanctions against representatives of the UOC clergy was put into effect.

Danilov supported the list of UOC clergy submitted by the Security Service of Ukraine. His signature appears under what is described as an unlawful decision.

(Source: Office of the President of Ukraine)

January 24, 2023 By decision of the NSDC, sanctions against representatives of the UOC clergy were intensified.

Those subjected to strengthened sanctions included Archdeacon Vadym Novinsky and Metropolitan Pavlo of Chornobyl and Vyshhorod, the abbot of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra.

(Source: Office of the President of Ukraine)

March 28, 2023 Danilov stated that the expulsion of monks from the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra was a fait accompli and not subject to discussion.

The Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council said that the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra would become a museum where services would be held, but “according to the laws of the country,” and not with those “artificial formations” – apparently referring to the UOC – which, in his words, were created in large numbers outside Ukrainian law.

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April 5, 2023 Danilov declared that the existence and development of the UOC in Ukraine since 1991 was a special operation of the Russian Federation against Ukraine.

The NSDC Secretary stated that the destruction of the UOC in Ukraine must proceed not according to the procedure that, as he claimed, Russia’s FSB allegedly expects.

“Everything will be according to our law, all citizens will obey the laws of our country. Let us not fall for provocations developed today by the FSB of the Russian Federation with certain figures who were previously on the territory of our country and still hold Ukrainian passports,” Danilov said.

He called the existence of the UOC in Ukraine since 1991 a Russian special operation.

“Unfortunately, no one paid attention to this. … But this was a special operation to seize our territory precisely through this institution (through the UOC – Ed.),” Danilov added.

In the same interview, Danilov said he welcomed the demolition of a UOC church in Lviv.

“In addition to the Verkhovna Rada, there is local authority. I welcome what happened in Khmelnytskyi, what is happening in Lviv and other cities. As for Muscovy, it has nothing to do here, they must go back to their own place. There must be no ties with Moscow,” he said.

“These people represent the Moscow eparchy and represent priest Gundiaev, who says that citizens of our country must be killed, and you go and start praying to them and giving them money. This does not fit in the head,” Danilov added.

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April 6, 2023 NSDC head Oleksii Danilov, live on Channel 24, thanked those who had “resolved the issue” with the UOC in Lviv and Khmelnytskyi.

According to him, “no institution that has any connection to the Russian Federation, to their community – even a religious community that cooperates with the Russian terrorist regime – will exist on the territory of our state.”

“I sincerely thank those citizens who in the Khmelnytskyi and Lviv regions have already resolved this issue (with the UOC – Ed.). The remaining regions will certainly be cleared of these representatives of the Russian Federation who are still present on the territory of our country,” the official said.

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