Unsettling promise to Russians who fight against Ukraine

The head of the Russian Orthodox Church – a Vladimir Putin ally – has made a bold speech as the country recruits new soldiers.

Russia wants 300,000 new soldiers. Picture: Alexander Nemenov/AFP

The head of the Russian Orthodox Church has told followers that soldiers who die in the war against Ukraine will be absolved of all their sins after President Vladimir Putin announced a partial mobilisation.

The announcement to mobilise up to 300,000 additional troops last week sparked anti-war protests across the country and more than 2000 people have been detained, according to independent monitoring and human rights group OVD-Info.

Military-age men have also fled the country in their thousands causing huge traffic queues at some border posts and airfares to skyrocket.

In his first Sunday sermon after the draft order, Patriarch Kirill said Russians who die during military duty were committing an act of “sacrifice” that “washes away all sins”.

Russia has the world’s largest Orthodox population.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin and Orthodox Patriarch Kirill are allies. Picture: Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images

“Many are dying in the fields of internecine warfare. The Church prays that this battle will end as quickly as possible, that as few brothers as possible will kill each other in this fratricidal war,” the 75-year-old said, according to an English translation.

“And at the same time the Church is aware that if someone, moved by a sense of duty, by the need to fulfil his oath, remains faithful to his calling and dies in the performance of his military duty, he is undoubtedly committing an act tantamount to sacrifice.

“He sacrifices himself for others. And so we believe that this sacrifice washes away all the sins one has committed.”

A video of the speech has been shared on social media and criticised by the West.

US army veteran and former Pentagon official Alex Plitsas said Patriarch Kirill’s “whitewashing of Russian War Crimes in Ukraine is just plain evil” and called on The Ecumenical Patriarchate to take action.

Patriarch Kirill is one of Mr Putin’s most prominent allies who backs the Russian invasion of Ukraine and this is not the first time he has come under fire for his comments about the war.

Russia wants 300,000 new soldiers. Picture: Alexander Nemenov/AFP

The timing of Kirill’s comments

Patriarch Kirill’s latest comments come amid the country’s chaotic start to its troop call-up for Ukraine. Videos have been shared of protesters being dragged away by authorities as they yell “no to war”, with one man declaring: “I am not going to die for Putin.”

Detained anti-mobilisation protesters said police even gave them call-up papers in custody – ordering them to enlist in the very effort they were denouncing.

More than 2000 people have been detained at protests against partial mobilisation. Picture: AFP

Russia has mistakenly ordered students, the elderly and sick people to report for duty.

When Mr Putin announced the partial mobilisation, he said only people with “relevant” skills or military experience would be concerned.

But many expressed outrage after seeing – sometimes absurd – cases of authorities summoning people unfit for service.

Russian authorities on Sunday promised to fix the mistakes.

Some protesters have then been handed call-up papers in custody. Picture: AFP

Russian officer shot at draft centre

A man opened fire at a military conscription office in Siberia on Monday, the latest incident to strain Russia’s recruitment drive.

It was the most recent escalation in a series of unprecedented protests and attacks on recruitment offices that are drawing a cloud over the Kremlin’s efforts to reverse military setbacks in east Ukraine.

Investigators said the suspect was a 25-year-old local and a woman who identified herself as his mother said he was “very upset” after his friend – who had no prior military experience – received call-up orders.

“They said that there would be partial mobilisation, but it turns out that they are taking everyone,” the woman, Marina Zinina, was cited as saying by local media.

The shooting took place in the town of Ust-Ilimsk in Irkutsk, a vast and sparsely-populated region of southeastern Siberia.

Regional governor Igor Kobzev said a recruitment officer had been wounded and that “doctors are fighting for his life”.

“I’m ashamed that this is happening at a time when, on the contrary, we should be united. We must not fight with each (other) but against real threats,” Kobzev said.

– With AFP