{"id":2551,"date":"2026-06-15T13:22:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-15T17:22:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/eetn\/?p=2551"},"modified":"2026-08-10T15:00:36","modified_gmt":"2026-08-10T19:00:36","slug":"russian-military-clergy-at-war","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/eetn\/2026\/russian-military-clergy-at-war\/","title":{"rendered":"Russian Military Clergy at War: Trajectories and Implications of Russia\u2019s Church-Military Relations Since the Full-Scale Invasion"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n Russian Military Clergy at War: Trajectories and Implications of Russia\u2019s Church-Military Relations Since the Full-Scale Invasion \n <\/h1>\n \n \n \n\n

By Santeri Kyt\u00f6neva<\/a>, doctoral researcher at the Aleksanteri Institute, University of Helsinki<\/p>\n\n\n <\/header>\n\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n

Executive Summary<\/strong> <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

This policy brief argues that the presence of Russian military clergy on Ukrainian territory serves as an ideological legitimation of Russia\u2019s invasion and further institutionalizes deeper church-military integration in Russia. While the deployment of Russian military clergy follows an earlier pattern of church-military cooperation, its limited scale means the military clergy does not fundamentally transform Russian military culture or battlefield performance. Analysis of available information on the number of military priests actively participating on the frontline reveals that the clergy-to-soldier ratio remains relatively low. However, the institutional cooperation established between the Russian Orthodox Church, the Russian state, and the Russian Armed Forces remains a significant factor with long-term implications. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Key Findings<\/h4>\n\n\n\n