Russia's invasion, which began in February 2022, has also been a source of religious controversy within the Eastern Orthodox Church and has driven a split among believers in both Russia and Ukraine.Vi

Russian President Vladimir Putin extended Christmas greetings to Orthodox Christians, emphasizing the importance of family traditions and the role of the Russian Orthodox Church in uniting people. On January 7,

Vladimir Putin and the patriarch of Russia’s Orthodox Church sent a rather unfriendly message to the West during their festive celebrations earlier today. The church, which celebrates Christmas on January 7 in line with the Julian calendar,

The patriarch of Russia's Orthodox Church, celebrating Christmas alongside Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin, said on Tuesday that the Western world despised Russia and its "alternative path of civilised development".

Russia launched aerial attacks on Ukraine’s energy sector “on a massive scale” overnight into Wednesday, local authorities said, amid intensified bombardment that has left Ukraine in a precarious position as the war grinds into a third winter.