UOC-MP blesses flags of Russian combat ships in Crimea

On December 13, 2017, the ceremony of the solemn consecration of St Andrew’s flags, which since 2001 was the flags of the Navy of the Russian Federation, took place in Russia-annexed Sevastopol. The blessing ceremony was held for warships and auxiliary vessels of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Navy, Religion in Ukraine has reported citing Interfax-russia.ru.

The event was timed to the day of remembrance of the Apostle Andrew the First-Called, and took place at St Volodymyr's Cathedral - the burial vault of the Russian admirals. The event was attended by representatives of the crews of all naval units of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Navy, said Chief of the Information Support Division of the Black Sea Fleet, 1 rank captain Vyacheslav Truhachev.

The service was led by the dean of Sevastopol deanery of the Crimean Diocese of the UOC (MP), Archpriest Serhiy Khalyuta, who held the prayer service to the Holy Apostle Andrew the Fist-Called, blessed the flags and handed them over to the commanders of the ships and the captains of the ships.

The tradition of blessing the flags of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation has been in place for the last 20 years. In recent years, representatives of the UOC (MP) have also regularly blessed Russian military facilities in Crimea and celebrated “the day of reunification of Crimea with Russia”.

“You are not only defenders of the borders of Russia - you are the protectors of the borders of the entire Orthodox world,” said Fr Sergei Khalyuta, the Dean of Sevastopol Deanery, speaking to the military servicemen in Crimea in 2015.

In 2017, the participants of the “Crimean Spring” told how the Church was used to separate Crimea from Ukraine.