Occupants persecute all churches in Donbas except for the UOC-MP

Only the churches of the UOC (MP) thrive in the occupied territory of the Donbas, as they serve the occupiers. This is stated in the study “Occupied Donbass: Economics, Demography, Impact Groups, Strategies for Ukraine,” jointly conducted by the Center for the Study of Russia and the Occupied Territories and the “Delovaya Stolitsa” edition.

According to the study, the priests of the UOC (MP) bless the fighters of the so-called Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics for ‘combat feats’ with the approval of the hierarchs of the UOC (MP) in the region.

“The hierarchs of the UOC (MP) have become part of the ideological propaganda machine of the occupation regime, and all other Christian denominations are facing more and more obstacles, priests and pastors are under constant threat of repression,” the study notes.

"At the same time, the struggle against ‘dissenters’ and ‘sectarians’, that is, the UOC-KP and Protestant churches, became part of the official ideology and policy of the occupation authorities. In fact, the UOC-MP and the occupation regime are engaged in mutual service. It follows that in case of return of Ukrainian control over the entire Donbas, this de-occupation will be illusory if the UOC (MP) retains its monopoly position, and its hierarchs, who served by the invaders, will continue to inculcate the "Russian world" in the brains of local residents,” the study authors note.