Russian fighters in Ukraine see struggle as Orthodox ‘holy war’
December 23, 2014
Some Russian fighters who are waging war against Ukrainian government forces in eastern Ukraine see their struggle as part of a “holy war” on behalf of Russian Orthodoxy.
Referring to the city of 975,000 in eastern Ukraine, one fighter told BBC, “Why do I say Donetsk is Jerusalem? Because what's happening here is a holy war of the Russian people for its own future, for its own ideals, for its children and its great country that 25 years ago was divided into pieces.”
“Our efforts are saving the Russian state,” added another fighter, who sees Russia as a besieged nation. “Because if the war for Donetsk is lost, it will immediately cross the border and begin in Russia. Rostov, Moscow, Vladivostok will be in flames.”
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