Some 307 places of worship in 15 regions suffered from attacks by Russian troops – Ethnic policy body

KYIV. Jan 27 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Since the beginning of the full-scale war, at least 307 places of worship in 15 regions of Ukraine have suffered from attacks by Russian troops, the State Service for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience has reported.

"From February 24, 2022 as of January 26, 2023, at least 307 religious buildings in at least 15 regions of Ukraine were completely destroyed or suffered damage of varying degrees in armed attacks by the Russian Federation: churches, mosques, synagogues, Kingdom Halls, educational and administrative buildings of the religious communities of Ukraine," the press service of the State Service for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience said.

Five out of 307 structures damaged in Russian attacks are Muslim, five are Jewish, and the remaining 297 are Christian.

According to the report, 30 belong to Protestant communities, 21 to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), five to the Roman Catholic Church (RCC), four to the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC), and 95 to Jehovah’s Witnesses.

"Almost 48% (142 objects) of the 297 damaged Christian structures, completely or partially destroyed in the Russian attack, belong to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC)," the state body said.

According to the state body, the largest number of destroyed religious buildings in Donetsk (75), Luhansk (59), Kyiv (43) and Kharkiv (38) regions.