600 Churches in Ukraine Destroyed by Russian Forces

A European and Asian Christian ministry dedicated to spreading the gospel across former Soviet nations asserts in a new report that Russian forces are guilty of religious persecution across Ukraine, having destroyed or damaged at least 600 churches since the 2022 invasion. The “Faith Under Fire” report from Mission Eurasia says the majority of destruction of and damage to churches is from missiles, drones, and artillery strikes, although religious structures also have been “deliberately looted by Russian soldiers” and “closed or repurposed into administrative buildings by occupation authorities.” Russian forces also have seized churches to use as military bases or to conceal firing positions, the report says.

“New reports concerning Russian soldiers seizing or looting yet another church or prayer house appear almost every week,” it says.