Ukrainian Christians are facing unimaginable religious persecution at the hands of Putin’s army. 

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• Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Russian troops have damaged or destroyed at least 630 churches, prayer houses and other religious facilities in Ukraine. (Institute for Religious Freedom, 3/29/24)

• The Russian military has also killed at least 39 priests, pastors and monks since the 2022 invasion, while imprisoning or torturing many others. Even more are missing or unaccounted for. (Voice of America News, 3/14/24)

• Not only has Russia continued to persecute people of faith since their 2014 invasion of Ukraine and annexation of Crimea, they also do so within their own borders. (Center for Strategic & International Studies, 2/29/24) 

• Orthodox churches suffered the most damage from Russian aggression – at least 246 in total. Of these, the churches of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (affiliated with the Moscow Patriarchate) suffered the most – at least 187 were damaged. (Institute for Religious Freedom, 3/29/24) 

• The scale of destruction and looting of evangelical churches is extensive – at least 206 have been affected in total. (Institute for Religious Freedom, 3/29/24)

U.S. Christian communities are rallying behind their Ukrainian brothers and sisters. 

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• Southern Baptists have rallied around Ukraine in huge numbers. Southern Baptists have gifted $10 million to Send Relief, the Southern Baptist compassion ministry, and $2.9 million to the International Mission Board (IMB). (Send Relief, 2/23/23) 

• In April 2024 Christian leaders from across the United States co-authored a letter to U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson urging him to consider the plight of Christians at the hands of Russia and reminding him that religious freedom is “a basic human right that must be protected everywhere.” (American Faith Leaders Joint Letter to Speaker Johnson on Behalf of Ukrainian Christians, 4/17/24) 

•  “Russian forces have damaged and looted hundreds of houses of worship, and hundreds of congregations have been lost. They are murdering pastors and priests in cold blood; many have disappeared. We cannot stay silent in the face of this evil.” (American Faith Leaders Joint Letter to Speaker Johnson on Behalf of Ukrainian Christians, 4/17/24)