The Russian Orthodox Church transported a reliquary containing part of the right hand of Dmitry Donskoy, a 14th-century prince, to Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine for use among military forces. Church officials stated the relic would help troops achieve victory and spiritually strengthen soldiers engaged in combat.
The reliquary was brought to the Savur-Mohyla war memorial in the Russian-occupied Donetsk region, where Orthodox clergy conducted a prayer service alongside military representatives. The Russian-installed Metropolitan Vladimir of Donetsk and Mariupol indicated the relic’s presence would assist soldiers and civilians in mobilizing their strength and securing victory against opposing forces.
Donskoy’s remains were uncovered during restoration work at the Cathedral of the Archangel inside the Kremlin only the previous month. Putin attended the ceremony marking the remains’ discovery. Church officials had made no prior attempts to exhume the remains following Donskoy’s canonization in 1988, though his burial location had been previously known.
Critics have argued the church departed from religious protocol by opening the centuries-old tomb. An Orthodox priest and historian outside Russia suggested the decision to uncover the relics appeared motivated by wartime considerations, noting the timing coincided with the fifth year of armed conflict. Church observers have noted parallels with the earlier deployment of relics belonging to Alexander Nevsky, another medieval military figure, which were similarly sent to the front earlier in the period.
The Russian Orthodox Church leadership has become closely integrated with the Russian military effort, with priests assigned to military units and churches across Russia instructed to recite prayers requesting divine victory. Church leadership has presented the conflict in religious terms aligned with official government characterization of the operation.
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