Religious freedom is not just a fundamental human right – it is the bedrock upon which human dignity and freedom are built.
It transcends individual belief and serves as the cornerstone of peaceful, just, and flourishing societies. The ability to worship, express faith, and practice religious traditions without fear of persecution is essential to the very functioning of a democracy.
This is precisely why Russian President Vladimir Putin is determined to dismantle religious freedom in Ukraine.
His campaign of repression seeks to undermine Ukraine’s sovereignty, but also the core values of freedom, tolerance and human rights, the foundation of a thriving society. Russian forces and their collaborators are not merely committing sporadic acts of violence; they are waging a calculated campaign to eradicate Ukrainian culture and undermine the spiritual foundations of the Ukrainian nation.
Christian communities are being systematically targeted, religious leaders are detained, churches are destroyed, and Bibles are burned. These atrocities are not random acts of aggression, but part of a deliberate effort to break the spirit of the Ukrainian people and erase Ukrainian identity.
Since the onset of the full-scale invasion, Russian forces have damaged or destroyed at least 630 churches across Ukraine, with Orthodox Christian communities bearing the brunt of the destruction – 246 churches have been lost. These acts are not only attacks on religious buildings but on the very soul of Ukraine.
Furthermore, Russian forces have killed at least 39 priests, pastors, and monks, with many more unaccounted for. Those who survive face unimaginable horrors – imprisonment, torture, and the destruction of their sacred institutions – all simply for practicing their faith and standing in defense of their congregations.
Before Russia's full-scale invasion, the Tavirsky Christian Institute in southeastern Ukraine housed one of the largest and most significant Christian libraries in Eastern Europe.
Recommended
In March 2022, Russian soldiers stormed the institute, destroying its invaluable collection by burning and discarding Bibles and other sacred texts, ultimately reducing the entire building to rubble.
The following month, Mission Eurasia, a nonprofit ministry dedicated to aiding Ukrainians displaced by the war, became the next target. The ministry reported that after their facility was obliterated in a tank crossfire, Russian troops ransacked the premises, tossing remaining stockpiles of Bibles and Christian literature onto the ground before setting them ablaze.
As the leader of the Center for Civil Liberties, a human rights organization based in Kyiv, I regularly receive firsthand accounts detailing the brutal treatment and relentless persecution faced by religious leaders.
One of the most harrowing stories is that of Baptist Pastor Leonid Ponomaryov and his wife Tatyana. The couple were kidnapped from their home by masked members of the Russian military who were accused of arbitrary extremism. The troops searched Pastor Ponomaryov’s church and seized religious literature. After 30 days of inhumane detainment resulting in trauma to themselves and their loved ones, the couple was finally released.
In another town, Russian troops abducted Anatoliy Prokopchuk, a prominent Ukrainian evangelical church leader, and his 19-year-old son, Oleksandr.
Four days later, the family received the devastating news: their mutilated bodies were discovered in a nearby forest, so horrifically disfigured that identification was nearly impossible.
Anatoliy and Oleksandr were brutally targeted for their faith. When the soldiers stormed in to seize them, they declared, “Your church has no right to exist, as it has connections with America and other Western countries.”
Now, Anatoliy’s wife and their five surviving children are left to endure the unbearable grief and loss inflicted by Putin’s army, standing resolute in the face of unimaginable suffering.
These are not isolated incidents – they are just a few among countless examples of the horrific abuses being committed against religious leaders and their institutions under Russian occupation.
The United States has long been a champion of religious liberty, both at home and abroad. Leaders such as former President Donald Trump and the Republican majority have consistently advocated for the protection of religious freedoms. I pray that they now recognize the urgency of addressing the faith-based oppression in Ukraine.
By supporting Ukraine, the U.S. can send a powerful message to the world: that religious persecution, in any form, will not be tolerated.
The U.S. has a proud history of leading the charge for global religious freedom – from the passage of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, to the formation of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, to its efforts to hold China accountable for the genocide of Uyghur Muslims. The American people want to extend that leadership to Ukraine.
American leaders, particularly those who hold religious freedom dear, have a moral obligation to not only defend Ukraine’s sovereignty but also its fundamental right to worship freely.
Supporting Ukraine in its struggle is not only about preserving its territorial integrity; it is about standing up for the sacred right of all people, everywhere, to practice their faith without fear of persecution.
Standing with Ukraine is a declaration that the world will not tolerate the persecution of religious communities – whether in Ukraine, Russia, or anywhere else. Let this be a defining moment in our collective defense of human dignity and religious liberty.
Oleksandra Matviichuk is the founder and head of the Center For Civil Liberties, which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member