AFU soldiers and OCU clergy on Athos: "Ukraine above all! Death to enemies!"
The Ukrainian delegation at the port of Ouranoupoli. Photo: Screenshot from the DRM News YouTube channel
At the end of November 2024, Ukrainian military personnel, together with representatives of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), visited the Holy Mountain of Athos. During their visit, they shouted slogans such as "Ukraine above all!" and wished death to their enemies.
A report published on the DRM News YouTube channel on January 3 described the visit, highlighting that the group consisted of 22 Ukrainian soldiers, both physically wounded and those suffering from psychological trauma caused by the war.
The trip, spanning over 1,000 kilometers, was part of a psychological rehabilitation program for war participants. The soldiers visited monastic communities, participated in prayers, and took part in religious rites.
Accompanying the soldiers on the trip were "clergy" of the OCU. Footage shows the Ukrainian delegation shouting "Ukraine above all!" in one of the Athonite cells. At the conclusion of their visit, the group gathered at the port of Ouranoupoli, located on the Athos Peninsula, where they chanted slogans like "Glory to the nation! Death to enemies!" multiple times.
Previously, the UOJ reported that the OCU announced a fundraising campaign for the construction of the "first Ukrainian-language monastery" on Mount Athos.
Read also
DESS expert tells US State Department reps about religious freedom in Ukraine
Andriy Smirnov held a meeting with staff of the US State Department's Office of International Religious Freedom.
Eight people killed in drone strike on monastery in Ethiopia
Two nuns and six priests were killed in the strike on the monastery; several more people were seriously injured.
Church commemorates St. Seraphim of Sarov
The venerable saint began his path of asceticism after a pilgrimage to the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra and prayer before the Caves saints.
DESS responds to statements by UOC lawyers
Yelensky’s agency claimed that the UOC’s lawyers are “discrediting” Ukraine’s leadership and spreading “disinformation.”
Lawyers collect statements from faithful to defend Kyiv Metropolia in court
UOC lawyers have prepared a procedure enabling clergy and laypeople to take part in the court proceedings over the DESS lawsuit.
UOC faithful make pilgrimage to Georgia’s holy sites
The pilgrims visited churches and monasteries in Tbilisi, Mtskheta, Kutaisi, and at the foot of Mount Kazbek.