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A car reportedly belonging to the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, was involved in a crash in central Moscow on Monday morning, according to several Russian Telegram channels.
The channel Baza, which has links to the Russian security services, reported that an Aurus belonging to Kirill collided with a Volvo at about 6:30 a.m. Moscow time. It happened at the intersection of Prospekt Mira and Botanichesky Lane, injuring one person, who declined to go to the hospital.
Kirill, 76, has justified Russian President Vladimir Putin's decision to invade Ukraine in February 2022 on spiritual and ideological grounds.
The Russian Orthodox Church has denied reports that Kirill's Aurus car was involved in a traffic accident.
"These reports are not true. At the moment, the Aurus car with Patriarch Kirill is driving up to the Cathedral of Christ the Savior," a source told Russian state-run news agency Interfax.
The Cathedral of Christ the Savior is a Russian Orthodox cathedral in Moscow, located near to the Kremlin.
Telegram channel 112 also reported that the Aurus motor vehicle belongs to the head of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Another channel, SHOT, published a video of the crash scene, which showed a badly damaged car being covered up with a black sheet as a police officer walked by.
Russia's state-run news agency RIA Novosti reported that an Aurus car was involved in accident in the center of Moscow, and that police have yet to comment on the incident.
The spokesperson didn't specify whether there were victims, and the police haven't yet commented on the incident.
Newsweek contacted Russia's Foreign Ministry via email for comment.
The patriarch has, since the beginning of the war, justified the conflict in Ukraine by giving speeches about Russia as a "peace-loving power" that doesn't engage in "military adventures."
Three days into the war, on February 27, 2022, he said in a sermon that Ukraine and Belarus are part of the "Russian lands" and that Ukrainians defending their country are "forces of evil."
In June 2022, he said Russia was being "attacked" all over the world because of feelings of jealousy, envy and indignation. Kirill added that he believed this was happening because Russia is "different."
And last September, after the Russian president announced a partial mobilization, Kirill urged Russian citizens not to be afraid of death, as thousands began to flee the country to avoid being called up to fight in Ukraine.
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Update 5/22/23 at 6:51 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with further information throughout.
About the writer
Isabel van Brugen is a Newsweek Reporter based in Kuala Lumpur. Her focus is reporting on the Russia-Ukraine war. Isabel ... Read more