In the occupied territories of Ukraine, the number of priests killed by the occupiers exceeds 40 people. This was stated by the head of the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience Viktor Yelensky during a briefing on Monday, an UNN correspondent reports.
Details
"Now Russia, according to a report by the U.S. Department, is one of the countries where religious freedoms are most severely and brutally suppressed. And this applies not only to the occupied territories. What is happening in the occupied territories does not fall under any legal description at all, it is arbitrariness, murder, rape, torture. The number of priests killed by the occupiers exceeds 40 people," Yelensky said.
He also emphasized that some of the murdered priests were killed while wearing liturgical vestments. That is, they could not be confused with anyone else.
"This applies to almost all religious organizations, including the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate. Therefore, when the Russian state speaks of its desire to protect the UOC-MP, it must first of all be protected from Russia. 14 priests of this church were killed, more than 100, almost 200 churches were destroyed from those in the occupied territories," emphasized the head of the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience.
Recall
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine reported on the deaths of 67 clergymen and the destruction of more than 630 religious buildings at the hands of the Russian occupiers. The occupation authorities ban the activities of religious organizations not affiliated with the Moscow Patriarchate.