**Ukraine Condemns Russia’s Religious Persecution in Occupied Territories**
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has once again denounced the brutal religious persecution carried out by Russia in the occupied territories of Ukraine. In a statement released on April 10, the ministry accused Moscow of killing dozens of clergy members and damaging or destroying hundreds of churches.
This is not an isolated incident. Experts have been warning about Russia’s systematic suppression of Ukrainian churches and other faiths in the occupied territories since May 2024. According to reports, 67 clergy members from various faiths have been killed between 2022 and February 2025, while over 640 places of worship, including 596 Christian churches, have been damaged or destroyed.
Russia’s actions are a clear attempt to destroy religious diversity and Ukrainian spiritual identity in the occupied territories. The Kremlin-controlled Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) has been forcibly absorbing local churches, including eight dioceses of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate. This move is seen as part of a larger strategy to suppress independent Ukrainian churches and other religions.
The ROC is closely tied to the Russian state, with its head, Patriarch Kirill, being a close ally of President Vladimir Putin. Moscow has also been suppressing Muslim Crimean Tatar communities and various Christian denominations in the Donbas region.
The Foreign Ministry’s statement appeals to all churches, religious organizations, and believers around the world to pay attention to Russia’s barbaric persecution of ordinary people who simply want to believe in God and pray. The ministry is calling on the international community not to silently watch crimes against faith and believers, as silence only strengthens evil and gives it a sense of impunity.
This is not the first time Ukraine has condemned Russia’s religious persecution. Multiple cases have shown that such actions date back to 2014, when Russia illegally seized Crimea and parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts. It is high time for the international community to take action against these brutal human rights abuses.
**Key Points:**
* 67 clergy members from various faiths have been killed between 2022 and February 2025.
* Over 640 places of worship, including 596 Christian churches, have been damaged or destroyed.
* Russia’s actions are aimed at destroying religious diversity and Ukrainian spiritual identity in the occupied territories.
* The ROC has forcibly absorbed eight dioceses of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate.
* Multiple cases have shown that religious persecution in the occupied Ukrainian territories dates back to 2014.
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