Changes

– Buried in secret –<ref name=PopeFrancis>{{cite web|url=https://www.breitbart.com/news/pope-beatifies-seven-communist-era-bishops-in-romania/|title=Pope beatifies seven Communist-era bishops in Romania|date=2 June 2019|publisher=[[Breitbart]]}}</ref>}}

– Buried in secret –<ref name=PopeFrancis>{{cite web|url=https://www.breitbart.com/news/pope-beatifies-seven-communist-era-bishops-in-romania/|title=Pope beatifies seven Communist-era bishops in Romania|date=2 June 2019|publisher=[[Breitbart]]}}</ref>}}

Evidence suggests systematic targeting of non-Orthodox faiths by Russian and DPR-LPR militants, often under the banners of the Russian Orthodox Church. Cases include torture of prisoners by individuals dressed as priests and the abduction of religious figures like Ihor Kozlovsky. The situation reflects the broader use of religion as a justification for violence and control, with ties to the concept of the "Russian World" promoted by both the Kremlin and the Moscow Patriarchate. Coynash criticizes the Vatican for overlooking these abuses in its 2016 statement with Patriarch Kirill.<ref>{{cite web |title=Russian crimes & religious persecution in Donbas that the Pope ignored |date=19 February 2016 |url=https://khpg.org/en/1455660484 |author=Halya Coynash}}</ref>

Reports indicate that Russian and DPR-LPR militants have systematically persecuted non-Orthodox religious groups, frequently using the Russian Orthodox Church as a pretext for their actions. Documented incidents include the torture of detainees by individuals disguised as clergy and the kidnapping of religious leaders such as Ihor Kozlovsky. These actions highlight how religion is exploited to justify violence and establish control, closely tied to the ideology of the "Russian World," supported by both the Kremlin and the Moscow Patriarchate. Coynash has criticized the Vatican for failing to address these abuses in its 2016 declaration with Patriarch Kirill.<ref>{{cite web |title=Russian crimes & religious persecution in Donbas that the Pope ignored |date=19 February 2016 |url=https://khpg.org/en/1455660484 |author=Halya Coynash}}</ref>

=== 2022 War ===

=== 2022 War ===