How Russian Church-Linked Narratives Are Reaching U.S. Lawmakers, Ukrainian NGO Says
Ukrainian civil society representatives in Washington have raised concerns over a coordinated Russian disinformation effort targeting U.S. lawmakers under the guise of religious advocacy.
The Gaze reports, citing an Instagram post by Oleksandr Taran, President of Svitanok NYC Inc., a U.S.-based non-profit organization focused on countering disinformation and strengthening Ukrainian-American relations.
In the post, Taran says that members of his team encountered several groups of Russian-speaking individuals in clerical attire inside the U.S. Capitol complex, where they were meeting with congressional offices.
Taran wrote that the groups were presenting materials alleging that Ukraine is persecuting Orthodox Christians and that U.S. military and financial assistance is allegedly being used to destroy churches and repress religious believers.
“Their stated purpose for being in Congress was to persuade U.S. lawmakers that Ukraine is allegedly persecuting Orthodox Christians and that U.S. aid is being used to destroy churches and abuse religious believers,” Taran stated. “The individuals claimed they were operating on behalf of ROCOR (the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia), despite also presenting themselves as Ukrainians who they said were victims of this supposed “persecution.”
According to the President of Svitanok NYC Inc., the individuals reportedly gained access to congressional offices through an American religious organization. While identifying themselves as Ukrainians, they were allegedly advancing narratives closely aligned with Russian state propaganda.
Svitanok’s team emphasized that such messaging exploits religious sensitivities within American society and risks influencing policymakers who may lack detailed context about the role of the Russian Orthodox Church in Moscow’s information operations.
Taran warned that Russia continues to leverage democratic freedoms in Western countries to spread disinformation at the governmental level, including through religious networks.
In response, Svitanok called on Ukrainian organizations in the United States to intensify outreach efforts aimed at exposing Russian propaganda and highlighting documented cases of religious repression committed by Russian forces in occupied parts of Ukraine.
“We also urge concerned parties to write to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and request an investigation into the activities of ROCOR in the United States for potential Russian agent activity,” Taran added.
As The Gaze reported earlier, the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) no longer hides its involvement in the war against Ukraine, openly supporting the occupying forces and their propaganda.
Read more on The Gaze: How Russia Twists Religion to Justify War: The Fake Narrative of Persecution in Ukraine