It seems that Patriarch Bartholomew was formally accused of heresy by Orthodox monks. It seems that Patriarch Bartholomew was formally accused of heresy. According to a translated article, one of the accusations relates to meetings with the Vatican rather than solely issues. The explanations for a removal based on heresy are very convincing and unrelated to anything in Ukraine or Russia. The Russians very much want Patriarch Bartholomew to remain as he has resisted foreign pressure to give autocephaly to half the church in Ukraine. So when these monks are resisting the Patriarch, it may not be related to current political concerns, but theological concerns.

For the Ukrainian request, this article has good analysis. Russia naturally will support Bartholomew because he has refused requests at independenance for part of the Ukraine church for decades.

It seems that Russian influence over Ukraine may help put down theological opposition to heresy within the Orthodox reporting to Constantinope if the accusations of heresy are sound. That's unfortunate.