Persecution of Western Christians in Russia and in the occupied territories of Ukraine
Behind Russia’s rhetoric of “traditional values” lies a coordinated campaign of religious repression. This report documents systematic persecution of Western Christian communities in Russia and in Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine, including abductions, torture, deportations, and the forced liquidation of churches
This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the systematic persecution of Western Christian denominations in the Russian Federation and in Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine. Drawing on documented cases between 2014 and 2025, it details how Catholic, Protestant, Evangelical, and Greek Catholic communities have been targeted through state repression, security operations, and occupation policies.
The findings show that religious persecution is not incidental but structural. Russian state institutions, security services, occupation administrations, and affiliated paramilitary groups have been directly involved in arrests, abductions, torture, deportations, church seizures, and the forced liquidation of religious communities. Clergy and believers have been accused of extremism, espionage, or “Western influence,” often solely on the basis of their religious affiliation.
The report further examines the ideological framework underpinning this repression, including the close integration of the Russian Orthodox Church with state power and security agencies. It documents how concepts such as “canonical territory,” anti-Western religious narratives, and the sacralization of war have been used to justify violence against non-Orthodox Christian communities.
Special attention is given to occupied regions of Ukraine, where Russian authorities have banned entire denominations, expelled clergy, confiscated church property, and criminalized worship outside the structures approved by the occupation regime. The report also traces similar patterns inside Russia itself, including the closure of churches, criminal prosecutions for missionary activity, and the expulsion of foreign clergy.
All conclusions are based on verified cases, open-source intelligence, witness testimony, and institutional documentation. The report aims to provide policymakers, journalists, researchers, and human rights organizations with a factual basis for understanding how religious repression functions as a tool of state control and ideological warfare.
Check out the full report exclusive here
FTN Editorial Team
