Russia seriously violates religious freedom in Ukraine, latest report echoes

 By Diana Chandler - Posted at Baptist Press:

Published March 7, 2025

OSLO, Norway (BP) – Russia seriously violates religious freedom in the land it illegally occupies in Ukraine, Forum 18 said in a new report.

Torturing and killing pastors and priests, prosecuting residents for exercising religious freedom, banning worship and entire religious communities, closing churches, prosecuting missionaries and banning Scripture as extremist literature are among the most egregious atrocities Forum 18 cited in its March religious freedom survey of occupied Ukraine.

The survey echoes findings from the U.S. Department of State in its latest (2023) report on international religious freedom, reports from the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, and reports from several groups that monitor international religious freedom or serve Christians in Ukraine, including Mission Eurasia’s 2025 Faith Under Russian Terror report released at the 2025 International Religious Freedom Summit in February.

“The fundamental cause of freedom of religion or belief and other human rights violations in Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory is Russia’s invasion and occupation from 2014 onwards of Ukraine,” Forum 18 wrote. “Until Russia’s occupation of Ukrainian territory is ended, the freedom of religion or belief and other human rights violations seem set to continue.”

Since Russia’s invasion in February 2022, it has also illegally annexed additional territory, now occupying a fifth of Ukraine, Forum 18 said.

The report comes as efforts to reach a peace agreement with Russia have included U.S. speculations that Russia would retain the land it illegally occupies in Ukraine, although no agreement has been reached.

Russia attacked Ukraine’s energy infrastructure with dozens of missiles and drones late March 6 and into the next morning, the Associated Press reported March 7, killing at least 10 individuals, striking residences and cutting power to homes as well as weapons factories.

Concurrently, the Trump administration suspended military aid and intelligence to Ukraine, including access to satellite imagery that could help Ukraine answer Russia’s fire, the AP said, citing sources at the U.S. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.

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