Message Ukraine is on the verge of the largest interfaith conflict in Europe
Such messages are continued to be spread by Russian propaganda through pro-Russian resources. They say that in Ukraine there is a “catastrophic” situation with the church of the Moscow Patriarchate. Moreover, Russia initiated the convening of the UN Security Council allegedly because of the “harassment” of the Moscow Patriarchate Church, which it calls “the only canonical Orthodox Church in Ukraine”.
At the same time, even before the beginning of the Security Council, the Moscow Patriarchate Church denied the request for help in protecting their rights. They say that they did not appeal to any state, especially to the one that carried out an armed attack on Ukraine.
Russian propaganda is systematically spreading messages that Ukraine is “destroying” the greatest religious denomination. Despite the fact that according to the results of the KMIS sociological survey, 72% of Ukrainians consider themselves Orthodox, and 54% identify themselves with the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.
The propagandists also used reports of an attack on a priest in a church to promote the message and claimed that a church was set on fire in Volyn, the rector of which refused to go to the OCU.
Ukraine is a secular state that guarantees its citizens the freedom of worldview and religion. Russia is trying to use religion as a weapon against Ukrainians.