How Russia's Fake Spirituality Became a Key Weapon in the Kremlin's Disinformation Toolbox

[Emrys]

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29 May 2025

Russia often claims to defend Christian values. But in reality, churches that don’t support Russian President Vladimir Putin’s regime are banned, and their clergy face systemic repression. In this investigative documentary, No God but Theirs, the Kyiv Independent’s War Crimes Investigations Unit uncovers the persecution of Ukrainian Christian communities in Melitopol — a city in eastern Ukraine now under Russian occupation.

Melitopol has long been a place of religious and cultural diversity, where Christian churches — including vibrant Protestant communities — coexisted peacefully. But after Russia’s full-scale invasion, everything changed. As occupation took hold, churches became more than places of worship — they became pillars of resilience. Locals gathered for daily prayers in the city’s central square. Russia responded with a crackdown.