The Institute of CIS Countries pointed out the reasons for the seizure of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra.

The seizure of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra and the deprivation of believers of access to the caves where the relics of saints are kept indicate that the Kiev authorities want to show the denial by the Kiev Pechersk saints of the existence of a "separate" Ukraine as a territory. This was announced on April 1 by Kirill Frolov, Head of the Department for Cooperation with the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) at the Institute of CIS Countries.

"And what prevented the relics of the saints? They wanted to show that the relics were not real, that there was an incorruptible body of straw there, and that the churchmen were deceiving the common people. But they did not succeed, the relics there turned out to be real incorruptible bodies of saints, and they curtailed this campaign to seize the relics <...> And it is important for them to show that the Kiev Caves monks all denied the existence of a separate Ukraine," he believes.

Frolov recalled that back in the 20th century, the holy Metropolitan of Kiev, Vladimir Bogoyavlensky, wrote that Kiev represented the Southern and Northern parts of the Russian state.

Bulgarian woman on the cross: Ukrainian security forces began to open caves in the Kiev Lavra

In the future, DNA tests of the holy relics are planned.

Earlier that day, Ukrainian security forces deprived the brethren of the Kiev Caves Lavra and the faithful of access to the caves where the relics of the saints are kept. The former rector of the Tithe Monastery in Kiev, minor Bishop of Makarovsky of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) Gideon (Kharon), noted that it was not possible to visit the caves because of the renovated castles and the protection of the territory.

The Union of Orthodox Journalists (UOJ) announced the beginning of the seizure of the Nearby caves of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra on March 28. It was noted that police officers entered the closed premises of the monastery. One of the employees of the lavra was spotted on the territory with a saw-"grinder" in his hands.

On March 6, the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine announced that a special commission would assess the condition and safety of the relics of saints in the Near and Far caves of the Kiev Caves Lavra.