The Russian Foreign Ministry accused the Ukrainian authorities of selling Orthodox holy sites

Russian authorities issued a harsh statement directed at the Ukrainian leadership, accusing it of stealing and subsequently reselling Orthodox relics, as well as church furnishings. According to Mikhail Melekh, the Russian Foreign Ministry’s special representative on religious freedom, Kyiv views church treasures solely as commodities to be exploited for profit. Romfea.gr reports the politician’s remarks via .

During the briefing, Mikhail Melekh stated that there are strong grounds to believe that the removal of the relics of saints and ancient artifacts is being carried out with the aim of transporting them outside Ukraine for sale at auctions. According to the Russian diplomat, the Ukrainian authorities are effectively selling off their country’s historical heritage.

A separate topic of the statement was the fate of Orthodox clergy in Ukraine. The Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson expressed serious concern over reports of mass forced mobilization of the clergy. According to Melekh, many priests sent to the combat zone have gone missing, and there is a risk that they may have been killed. The Russian Foreign Ministry called on international human rights organizations to demand that Kyiv provide explanations regarding the fate of the missing clergy and the conditions of their detention.

As a reminder, earlier, Ukrainian MP Alexander Dubinsky spoke about what lies behind the actions of members of the “Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra” National Reserve regarding the holy relics of the Venerable Fathers of Kyiv-Pechersk. The lawmaker claims that under the guise of an “inventory” initiated by Ukraine’s new Prime Minister Yulia Sviridenko, the most valuable relics of the saints will be substituted and transported from Ukraine to the United Kingdom, as Volodymyr Zelenskyy personally promised to King Charles III of England.