Russian President Vladimir Putin has been called ‘a fighter against the Antichrist’ or ‘chief exorcist’ by Patriarch Kirill, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Newsweek reports.
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From ‘Denazification’ to ‘Desatanization’
At the outset of the Ukraine War, Vladimir Putin called Russia’s invasion of its neighbour merely ‘a special military operation’ with the objective of ‘denazification’.
Eight months into the war and Russia is reportedly failing in all of its military objectives in Ukraine. Now, reports suggest that voices inside the Kremlin are whipping up bizarre theories in order to stir up domestic support.
Aleksey Pavlov, the assistant secretary to the security council of Russia, is said to claim the existence of satanic sects and a ‘satanic church’ in Ukraine which calls for ‘killing Russians’, Express reports.
‘I believe that, with the continuation of the special military operation, it becomes more and more urgent to carry out the desatanization of Ukraine. Using internet manipulation and psycho-technologies, the new regime turned Ukraine from a sovereign state to a totalitarian hypersect.’
The statements by Pavlov have not been independently verified.
Nevertheless, even Vladimir Putin himself made use of this narrative. This was when he declared Russia’s annexation of the four regions in Ukraine, he accused western countries of ‘outright satanism’, Newsweek reports.
'This is a complete denial of humanity, the overthrow of faith and traditional values. Indeed, the suppression of freedom itself has taken on the features of a religion: outright Satanism'
‘Holy War’
Increasingly more voices inside Russia are trying to elevate the discourse about the Ukraine War. What was merely a special military operation has now become a call to fight satanism and a ‘holy war’.
Such is the case of Ramzan Kadyrov, the Chechen leader and Putin ally who described the war in Ukraine as a ‘holy war against Satanism’.
Moreover, Patriarch Kirill recently told Russian citizensnot to be afraid of death when going to fight in Ukraine.
‘Go bravely to fulfil your military duty. And remember that if you lay down your life for your country, you will be with God in his kingdom, glory and eternal life.’
Sources used:
-Newsweek: 'Putin Appointed 'Chief Exorcist' as Kremlin Whips up Satanic Panic'
-Express: ‘Putin dubbed 'chief exorcist' as Kremlin turbocharges satanic panic over Ukraine invasion’
