Faith in the Crossfire: Religious Freedom Under the Kremlin Regime
This report documents the systematic erosion of religious freedom in the Russian Federation and occupied territories of Ukraine. It demonstrates how religious repression has become a central mechanism of state control and a core component of the Kremlin's war strategy.
Key Findings: Religious Persecution in Russia and Occupied Ukraine
The Faith in the Crossfire report, published by Mission Eurasia, exposes a multi-layered system of legal, administrative, and ideological pressure designed to subordinate religious life to state objectives. Since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, this repression has accelerated to eliminate independent religious communities.
The "Russian World" (Russkiy Mir) Ideology
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Identity and Loyalty: Under this framework, Russian identity is defined as inherently Orthodox and politically loyal.
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National Security: Religious diversity is increasingly portrayed as a threat to national security.
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The ROC's Role: The Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) Moscow Patriarchate has acted as a key partner in this system, presenting the war as a metaphysical struggle to legitimize violence.
Weaponization of Law and Propaganda
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Repressive Legislation: Authorities weaponize laws regarding "foreign agents," "extremism," and "discrediting the army" to criminalize peaceful religious activity.
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Targeting Peace: Religious leaders who preach on peace are particularly vulnerable to state pressure.
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Global Narratives: The Kremlin exports false narratives portraying Russia as a defender of Christianity to obscure the documented reality of religious persecution.
Methodology and Research Standards
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This research is part of Mission Eurasia’s systematic effort to document religious freedom across the Eurasian region. The findings are based on:
More than 60 in-depth field interviews.
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Long-term monitoring and legal consultations.
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Comprehensive analysis of materials from human rights organizations.