The persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church by the authorities attracted the attention of Italian journalists. La Repubblica published an article in defense of Ukrainian believers.

The article notes that most Western media “shamefully hush up the fact of the religious war in Ukraine”, considering it less significant in comparison with the hostilities.

The journalists of the publication also drew attention to the fact that at present the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra – the source of faith and spiritual life of the country, the monastery, which is home to three hundred monks and more than four hundred theology students, has become a center of violation of the rights of believers.

“This is a real persecution in which the monks are accused of being collaborators and Russian spies,” the article says.

“The Lavra, where they call for peace and an end to the war, has become a pretext for persecution by Zelensky. Thus, this Church <…> becomes a martyr’s Church,” the Italian edition notes.