The Kremlin exploits the russian orthodox church to justify the war in Ukraine

The Kremlin has once again intensified its use of the Russian Orthodox Church as a propaganda tool to justify aggression against Ukraine and to militarize Russian society.

State and propaganda media in Russia are widely broadcasting images of religious services attended by Russian soldiers, including those from the front lines. Alongside these, statements from so-called “military priests” emphasize the necessity of being close to soldiers “in the camps,” directly linking faith with war.

During the Christmas services on January 7, alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin, high-ranking state officials, including the Minister of Defense, as well as senior figures of the Russian Orthodox Church hierarchy, were present.

During these ceremonies, the war in Ukraine was portrayed as a “fight against evil” and as a “defense of faith.”

According to analyses, in the speeches of high-ranking clerics, Russian aggression against Ukraine is deliberately masked as a “spiritual mission.” Religious rhetoric is used for “holy peace,” the “Russian world,” and the “defense of Orthodoxy,” while Ukraine is unprovenly accused of “persecuting faith.”

In this way, the Kremlin aims to avoid political and legal responsibility for the war, shifting it into a pseudo-sacred dimension.

Experts assess that this is a typical practice of Russian propaganda: the mixing of religion, the military, and state ideology to legitimize violence and mobilize the population.

While in most of the world Christmas symbolizes peace, solidarity, and humanity, in Russia it is being exploited as a tool to justify killings and to continue military aggression.

Earlier, the Center had published an analytical report documenting the use of the Russian Orthodox Church as a militarized instrument within the state propaganda system of the Russian Federation.