Ukrainian sources say that as Russian forces are trying to end the existence of evangelicalism in areas they already control, Ukrainian evangelicals do not support a peace agreement granting territory to Russia.
“For Ukrainian evangelicals, it is not only important to achieve peace for themselves, but also to achieve the peace and freedom of their brothers and sisters in areas under Russian control.” Based in Kyiv He told Christian Daily International. “That’s why if thousands of evangelical Christians continue to be persecuted under Russian authority for years, it would not be a perfect deal, not a peaceful deal.”
The desire of the Ukrainian people is that all Ukrainian territory will be freed, Vasin said in an interview with CDI at the International Religious Freedom Summit in Washington, DC on February 4th.
“It is clear that if Russia maintains control of some of Ukraine’s territory, there is a lot of atrocities, religious persecution, primarily against evangelical followers,” Vasin said. “And every year it will get worse and worse. That’s why we want to believe that the entire territory will be freed from Russia, is a way to restore religious freedom in this region.”
It is important to release all Ukraine’s territory and Russian pressure, and to respect Russia to stop religious persecution, and with important sanctions with state sponsorship that entails it Vasin said that they are adopting such measures.
“It is the only tool we can see to force Russia to stop such serious violence against all Ukrainian followers,” he said.
With support from the Russian Orthodox Church, the Russian military, which has been fighting for Ukrainian territory since 2014, should end the existence of all evangelical Christianity in the country that openly invaded in 2022, according to the Ukrainian Human Rights Commissioner. I’m trying to do it.
Dmytro Lubinets said at a briefing and reception at the IRF summit that Russian-occupied Ukrainian Christian leaders, including Pentecostals, Baptists and seven-day Adventists, were targeted by Russian forces.
“The Russian military threatens the complete physical exclusion of all evangelical followers and calls them American spies,” Rubinets said. “We even found official documents to close the church. The exact same thing that the Soviet Union used.”
Among the first things that Russian occupiers do when they capture Ukrainian cities is to destroy all church buildings, he said.
“Russia launched an attack on my country in 2014. As a result, we know that 67 religious leaders were killed by Russians. However, the conditions for that war were that researchers were able to say that they were prevents you from discovering.
Russia has created a special method of torture and pressure for the Ukrainians in the occupied territory. He assumes arrests, rapes, and threatening murders.
“For a year and a half, religious figures were subjected to torture and inhumane treatment, kept in prisons and torture chambers,” he said. “I spoke to them, and when I heard the condition, the torture, it was absolutely horrifying.”
Thousands of Ukrainian civilians, including religious leaders, remained Russian prisoners, many of whom suffer from torture that sometimes leads to death, he said.
“So, dear friend, dear colleague, we need to unite our efforts to stop this invasion of this attack on not only the Ukrainian Church, but also the Ukrainian Church, but all religious followers in the world. “Rubinets said.
Last year, Ikhor Novosilsky, a priest of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), said that despite the UOC’s matching Russian Orthodox Church and Russian military, 262 days of arbitrary arrest, torture and illegal prisons I endured. Mikairo Brightsin of Summit and Mission Eurasia by Vasin from the Institute for Religion.
“This happened because he refused to follow the requests of Russian authorities in the Herson region in order to abandon the Ukrainian language and become subordinate to the Orthodox Church in Russia,” he said. Ukraine situation. ”
Following the destruction, damage or looting of Russian troops in 2022 and 2023 of at least 630 religious sites in Ukraine, the report promotes airstrikes and grounds in various Ukrainian civil infrastructure, They destroyed and destroyed 650 more such sites in 2024 due to the base violation. east.
“In August and September alone, more than 10 churches and religious buildings were damaged as a result of the Russian invasion,” the report said.
Occupying Russian authorities also seized church buildings, prayer houses and other property from Christians.
“Sometimes, these oppressive actions by Russian security forces against the religious community in Ukraine are initiated and supported by representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church,” the report states. For example, on April 28th, during the Holy Week of Easter, the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) not only seized a church belonging to the UGCC (Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church), but also during the Holy Week of Easter, On April 28th, the sacrifice was offered by “reunion” it during the Holy Week of Easter. ”
The Russian Orthodox Church, in partnership with the occupation authorities, has continued to dismantle the parish of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (OCU) in Crimea under Russian occupation since 2014, the report says.
“By 2023, only 11 of the original 45 OCU parishes remained in Crimea. However, in 2024, Russian authorities took the remaining churches from the OCU and were able to take ownership or use. We have no property left behind,” the report said.
The Russian occupying people are forcing Christians from different sects to a single local church that is overseen by a single individual who is loyal to the authorities, according to the report.
“Current Russian oppression is reminiscent of Soviet practices in which the communist regime first banned churches, took their buildings, and experienced clergy, and then followed the demands of Godless authority; They forced religious communities to be re-registered under the new rules,” the report said. Christian said, “People are terrified during worship. It is forbidden to talk about persecution of believers, closure of churches, and similar issues.”
Elena Alka, an employee of the Ukrainian Presidential Office for Religious and Humanitarian Affairs, told the IRS Summit Briefing that Ukrainians will fight the occupation for their faith and God to demand it.
“The freedom and freedom of religion that have won in the past should not be given up just because fascist leaders have decided to invade the country,” she said. “If we give up the land as many people want, we are essentially abandoning our existence and Christ. We abandon our freedom of religion. Remember us Please come on, we remember you. Pray for us, as we pray for you.”
