Russian Forces Closing All Churches in Occupied Territories Except Those Affiliated with Moscow Patriarchate, Documentary Journalist Reports

Paul Goble

            Staunton, Aug. 19 – Despite Kremlin propaganda about Moscow’s support for traditional values, Russian forces in the portions of Ukraine they occupy are closing down all religious organizations except those affiliated with the Moscow Patriarchate, often destroying religious buildings and even killing parish leaders, according to Saimon Ostrovsky.

            The journalist who was born in Russia but grew up and lives in the United States is one of the few outsiders who have been able to document these horrific Russian actions in Ukraine (youtube.com/watch?v=dsx5w6YH9zM transcribed and reposted at echofm.online/stories/rossiya-presleduet-hristian-na-okkupirovannyh-territoriyah-ukrainy-prikryvayas-tradiczionnymi-czennostyami).

            Ostrovsky gives as an example the situation in Melitopol where there had been 15 churches. But after the Russians moved against those not affiliated with the Moscow Patriarchate only one remains.  And on the basis of interviews with others in the region, he insists that this is a concerted policy across the occupied territories and not the actions of a renegade local leader.

            The journalist says he is appalled by the large number of US and other Western officials who claim that Russia is protecting Christians and defending traditional values and who are even willing to listen to Putin’s demands that the US intervene to force Ukraine to defend Russian churches, especially when Russia itself is destroying Christian churches there right and left.