IRFBA Condemns Persecution of Believers in Ukraine: Over 80 Clergy Killed, 800 Religious Sites Damaged
Chair of Article 18 Alliance Issues Statement Marking Fourth Anniversary of Full-Scale War
On February 24, 2026, the Chair of the IRFBA – Article 18 Alliance, Robert Rehak, released a statement marking the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The document highlights systematic violations of freedom of religion or belief, destruction of religious heritage, and persecution of clergy.
Source: ІРS
Clergy Killed and Hundreds of Cases of Persecution
The statement notes that since the start of the full-scale aggression, at least 80 clergy members from various denominations have been killed as a result of targeted strikes or indiscriminate shelling. More than 200 representatives of religious communities have experienced abduction, torture, or unlawful detention.
Persecution has affected a wide range of faith communities — from evangelical Baptists and Pentecostals to Seventh-day Adventists, Jehovah’s Witnesses, believers of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, as well as Muslim and Jewish communities.
More Than 800 Religious Sites Damaged
More than 800 religious buildings have been damaged, approximately 100 of them completely destroyed. Over half of the affected sites are Orthodox churches, but destruction has also impacted Protestant prayer houses, Catholic cathedrals, synagogues, mosques, and other places of worship.
More than 130 religious facilities are currently non-functional.
The statement references several high-profile cases, including the destruction of the 19th-century Church of St. George in Zavorychi, the Church of the Nativity in Viazivka, strikes on the Transfiguration Cathedral in Odesa, the Lutheran church in Zmiivka, and damage to the 11th-century Saint Sophia Cathedral.
On January 24, 2026, shelling also damaged the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Militarization of Sacred Sites
The document emphasizes that occupying forces have not only destroyed religious buildings but have also used them for military purposes. There have been documented cases of places of worship being converted into administrative facilities or ammunition storage sites.
According to Rehak, such actions constitute grave violations of international humanitarian law.
Criticism of the Role of the Russian Orthodox Church
The Chair of the Alliance also addressed the position of the Russian Orthodox Church. The statement asserts that church leadership has provided theological justification for the war, describing it as a “holy struggle.”
It also mentions the involvement of ROC representatives in blessing weapons, supporting military programs, and exerting ideological influence over children in occupied territories.
Ukraine as a Founding Member of the Alliance
The IRFBA – Article 18 Alliance is a coalition of 43 states promoting the protection of freedom of religion or belief worldwide. Ukraine is one of its founding members.
The statement underlines that even amid war, Ukraine continues to promote interfaith dialogue. In 2025, the country legislatively introduced a National Day of Prayer as a symbol of unity and spiritual solidarity.
Rehak also recalled his visit to Bucha and participation in the National Prayer Breakfast, emphasizing that the war against Ukraine carries not only geopolitical implications but also a profound moral dimension.
Call to the International Community
“Deliberate destruction of religious sites, the use of places of worship for military purposes, and the persecution of clergy and believers constitute serious violations of international humanitarian law,” Rehak stated.
The IRFBA Chair called on the international community to take decisive action to protect Ukrainian believers and their spiritual heritage, and stressed the need to restore a just and lasting peace.
