On July 19, 2023, participants of the Hierarchical Council of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) referred to Ukraine's authorities as successors to Bolshevik godless ideologies. They also lauded Russian occupiers, labeling them as "defenders of faith and homeland on the battlefield."
As reported on patriarchia.ru, the concluding resolution of the ROC's Hierarchical Council stated:
"Today, the state authorities on Ukrainian soil have presented themselves as direct inheritors of the Bolshevik godless ideology, persecuting the Orthodox Church. Faithful church members are driven out of temples, hierarchs, clergymen, and laypeople undergo unjust arrests and dishonorable trials, while sacred places are desecrated and pillaged... Many years to Metropolitan of Vyshhorod and Chernobyl Paul, who is currently imprisoned, and to all confessing hierarchs facing criminal prosecution for their faith and Church!"
The ROC did not spare mentioning the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople either, labeling its hierarchy as "one of the instruments of anti-Orthodox political forces" and accusing them of "distorting Orthodox teachings about the Church."
Notably, the ROC referred to the ongoing war waged by the aggressor in Ukraine as "these current difficult times when those who seek war have gathered against Holy Rus, desiring to divide and annihilate its united people."
Participants of the ROC's Hierarchical Council offered special prayers for the Russian soldiers involved in the conflict in Ukraine:
The resolution stated, "With profound feelings, participants of the Hierarchical Council lift their prayers to God for military leaders and soldiers. May the Lord protect them from wounds, captivity, and death; may He shield them from all evil, sin, and falsehood. May He grant peace to the souls of soldiers who have given their lives for faith and homeland on the battlefield... The soldiers participating in military actions require special pastoral attention and care."