Russia Plans to Attack Churches During Putin's Christmas Ceasefire: Ukraine

Ukrainian officials are warning of potential Russian attacks on churches located within occupied territories in association with Orthodox Christmas services, as Russia has reportedly already broken its own proposed ceasefire.

Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk, also the minister for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine, wrote on Facebook on Friday that she has received warning that Russians plan to attack in the midst of religious services being conducted on January 7—the day Christmas is celebrated in Orthodox churches.

On Friday, Agence France-Presse (AFP) journalists reported hearing outgoing and incoming shelling in the city of Bakhmut after the ceasefire was scheduled to begin.

"I urge citizens to be careful and avoid visiting places with large crowds," Vereshchuk wrote. "Take care of yourself and your loved ones. Wait for the Armed Forces of Ukraine."

InformNapalm, an international volunteer initiative that began in March 2014 in response to Russia's annexation of Crimea, wrote on Facebook that two intelligence sources close to Donetsk People's Republic indicated "a high probability that several Orthodox temples in Donetsk and other settlements in the occupied territories may be mined and blown up" on Saturday morning.

The reasoning for such attacks, according to information provided January 4 and 5 by the organization's sources, is "to remove propaganda plots for the internal Russian audience and thus initiate informational reasons for a new wave of mobilization."

"We currently have no data on specific mine sites, so we urge all civilians of the occupied territories to refrain from visiting temples to avoid falling victim to Russian bloody provocation. Celebrate Christmas at home with your family and avoid crowds," the post reads.

The warnings come as Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Kirill, a close ally of President Vladimir Putin who has continually supported Russia's military conquest, called for a two-day ceasefire in Ukraine between January 6 and 8 due to Christmas celebrations.

Igor Novikov, a former adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, explained in a Twitter video that the current Russian Orthodox church is just an extension of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation, or Russia's intelligence agency.

"It only takes one look at their messaging to understand why they're calling for rape, calling for murder, calling for genocide," Novikov said.

If Ukraine agrees to a ceasefire it means that Putin receives "a perfect opportunity to carry out as many false flag operations as he wants and blame them on Ukraine," he said, adding that disagreement with the ceasefire would lead to Russian propagandists and "useful idiots like Tucker Carlson" painting Ukraine as the nation not wanting peace.

Religion has played a vital role in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, notably in recent months as Russia has altered its terminology from a special military operation waged originally on "denazification" and now on "desatanization."

Maria Popova, associate professor of political science at McGill University, told Newsweek that the Russian Orthodox Church "is de facto subordinated to the political regime," and not just Kremlin allies but their "agents."

She said Russians extoll strong conservative values but in a manner different from the West. That means a difference in routine church attendance and copious knowledge of the Scripture.

Russia has purposely stirred anti-Western sentiment in its society and done so "very effectively," including railing on "gay Europe" and frequently supporting anti-LGBTQ legislation, she added.

"Ukraine, which used to be a 'brotherly' Orthodox nation, is being stolen from Russia by the West through pernicious cultural influence [like] gay parades and other 'Western values,'" Popova said, explaining the Russian perspective. "Thus, the war in Ukraine takes on a holy war aspect—Russians are trying to exorcise their 'brothers' the Ukrainians from the Western dark, Satanist even, forces who have brainwashed and oppressed them and made them fight."

Newsweek reached out to Vereshchuk, InformNapalm and the Ukrainian and Russian ministries of defense for comment.