What it means for Russia’s fight in Ukraine to be a ‘holy war’

Excerpt

The Russian Orthodox Church is supposed to bring people closer to God, not to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

And yet, that seems to be just what the ROC is doing under Patriarch Kirill. The leader of a church with as many as 160 million adherents has declared Russia’s fight to conquer Ukraine to be a “holy war.” It is not the most Christian of messages, and it is a belief that must be challenged in any way possible. 

Emily Hester is a research analyst with FDD’s Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation. Dr. Ivana Stradner serves as a research fellow with the Barish Center for Media Integrity at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD).