Churches in occupied areas of eastern Ukraine continue to experience ongoing opposition from Russian-installed authorities. For Christians within the region, this has led to harsh restrictions on places of worship that are not affiliated with the Russian Orthodox Church, as well as those that do not comply with the imposed regulations.
On 23 May, Pastor Vladimir Rudomyotkin was fined for alleged “missionary activity” because he did not receive permission from officials to hold regular worship services at his church. Along with requiring permits for Christians to meet, the authorities have also forced pastors to submit their sermons for review and report the names of attending church members.
On 8 June, a Council of Churches Baptist congregation in Krasnodon was celebrating Pentecost Sunday when their service was suddenly raided by police. The intruding officers alleged that the church was not registered with the Russian-controlled authorities. Congregations belonging to the Baptist Council of Churches oppose government registration for numerous reasons. According to Pastor Vladimir Rytikov, “One of the reasons is the [newly imposed] duty of the pastor to report to the authorities about the life of church members and about the service … This is betrayal.”
Other church leaders report that Russian officials have met with them to “discuss” the content of their sermons and the way in which the worship services are conducted. For example, one priest was confronted by the authorities because he failed to praise the Russian military and their campaign against Ukraine in his Easter message.
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