Myth of Persecution: Dissecting Russia’s Religious Propaganda in Ukraine
Russian propaganda is once again weaponizing religion – this time by promoting the false narrative that Orthodox Christians are being persecuted in Ukraine. According to Valentyn Gladkykh, political analyst at the United Ukraine Think Tank, this disinformation campaign is part of a broader effort to justify Russia’s aggression under the guise of defending religious freedom.
For years, the Kremlin has invoked the alleged persecution of Russian speakers, “compatriots,” or Orthodox believers abroad to rationalize military interventions from Georgia to Ukraine.
This tactic, Gladkykh notes, mirrors historical precedents used by authoritarian regimes, particularly Nazi Germany, which invoked “protection” of ethnic Germans to justify invasions.
In Ukraine’s case, the target is the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate), or UOC-MP. Russian officials and propagandists claim it is being “banned” or “persecuted.”
In reality, the Ukrainian state guarantees religious freedom even during wartime, as enshrined in the Constitution and upheld in practice. Ukraine is home to over 37,000 registered religious organizations representing more than 90 denominations.
Contrary to Russian claims, Ukraine’s legislation regulating religious organizations aligns with democratic norms. Like in other rule-of-law countries, can be limited only in cases where a group’s activities endanger national security, public order, or fundamental rights.
The principle was reaffirmed in the 2023 Law “On the Protection of the Constitutional Order in the Sphere of Religious Organizations.” The law prohibits the activities of religious entities affiliated with organizations supporting or promoting Russian aggression, including the Russian Orthodox Church, which has openly endorsed the invasion and provided ideological cover for war crimes.
There is ample evidence that some UOC-MP clergy have gone far beyond spiritual guidance. Investigations by Ukraine’s Security Service (SSU) have uncovered priests engaging in espionage, storing illegal weapons, producing pro-Kremlin propaganda, and even directing Russian artillery fire.
Despite these documented abuses, Russian media continues to portray Ukraine’s efforts to safeguard its sovereignty as religious repression. But, as Gladkykh emphasizes, no one in Ukraine is prosecuted for their faith or for belonging to a particular denomination. Criminal liability arises only when religious figures commit actions unrelated to spiritual practice, such as collaboration, incitement to violence, or aiding the enemy.
“Ukrainian legislation in the field of state-church and interfaith relations is in some respects significantly more liberal than in many other democratic states, including the European Union,” Gladkykh writes. “In order to operate freely in Ukraine, religious organizations simply need to refrain from affiliating with foreign religious organizations whose activities are prohibited in Ukraine, refrain from spreading the ideology of the “Russian world,” and refrain from supporting armed aggression against Ukraine.”
In short, religious organizations are welcome in Ukraine, provided they do not serve as proxies for the Kremlin’s imperial ambitions. The real threat to faith lies not in Ukrainian legislation, but in Russia’s cynical use of religion as a political weapon.
Read the full article by Valentyn Gladkykh on The Gaze: How Russia Twists Religion to Justify War: The Fake Narrative of Persecution in Ukraine