Russian Military Accused of Systematic Religious Persecution in Occupied Ukraine
The Russian military is reportedly engaged in a deliberate and organized policy of religious cleansing in occupied Ukrainian territories, specifically targeting independent Christian denominations like Protestants and Catholics. Steven E. Moore, founder of the Ukraine Freedom Project, states that this policy aims to eliminate any church not controlled by the Russian state. Accounts from occupied areas detail the torture and killing of clergy members, the forced annexation of Ukrainian Orthodox Church dioceses to the Russian Orthodox Church, and the eradication of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine in Crimea. The United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission has also documented cases of torture and ill-treatment of Greek Catholic priests. This systematic persecution contradicts Russia's public claims of defending 'traditional Christian values' and is seen as a political tool to consolidate power and suppress dissent. 
