Ukraine: Concerns that church attacks 'are not random'

Since the beginning of their full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russia has repeatedly, intentionally, and shamelessly targeted civilians. In a country that has some of the largest (and growing!) Christian communities in Europe, it is inevitable that churches will be affected along with everyone else.

However, there is significant concern that attacks on churches – particularly Protestant evangelical churches – are not random or merely the product of indiscriminate assault.

This is further borne out on the ground in the occupied territories, where Russian soldiers have disrupted evangelical church gatherings, closing churches and persecuting believers.