MILITANTS SHELL DONETSK AIRPORT FROM TERRITORY OF ORTHODOX MONASTERY
Militants have shelled positions of Ukrainian troops in the Donetsk airport from the territory of an Orthodox monastery. This was reported by UNIAN, citing the press center of the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) on its Facebook page.
"At 13.00 the status of the epicenter of events of the day for the ATO remains the Donetsk airport," the report says.
"On the whole, in the first half of the day, terrorists conducted shelling of positions of our troops eight times. Of these, four times were at the positions of ATO forces at the Donetsk airport. The bandits are using sniper weapons and grenade launchers against our 'cyborgs.' We note that members of illegal armed formations continue to use as their shelling bases the building of an Orthodox monastery," the ATO press center notes.
It is also reported that the other shelling was
conducted in population centers of Staryi Aidar, Stanitsa
Luhanskaia, and Schaste. ATO fighters maintained the conditions of
the "quiet" regime and did not open return fire. (tr. by PDS,
posted 17 December 2014)
Kremlin poses as defender of religious rights
SESSION OF PRESIDENTIAL COUNCIL ON COOPERATION WITH RELIGIOUS ASSOCIATIONS HELD IN KREMLIN
Representatives of RPTs and other religions of Russia called for protection of believers in zones of armed conflicts
Ekklesiia.ru, 12 December 2014
Events in the last four years connected with the so-called "Arab Spring" in countries of the Middle East and North Africa have been unprecedented in modern history in their cruelty with respect to Christians and representatives of other traditional religious of this region. Having gotten freedom of actions, representatives of radical Islam, for example in Iraq and Syria, have made life unbearable not only for local Christians but also for Muslims of a traditional type.
An especially difficult situation has now developed in the zone of armed actions in Ukraine. Beginning in February 2014, more than 60 cases of attacks on churches and clergy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church have been identified.
All these important questions were discussed yesterday in the Kremlin at the presidential Council for Cooperation with Religious Associations and Organizations. The participants in the meeting that was held under the chairmanship of the head of the Kremlin administration, Sergei Ivanov, included the head of OVTS, Metropolitan of Volokolamsk Ilarion, Metropolitan of Krutitsy Yuvenaly, the head of OVTsO Archpriest Vsevolod chaplin, as well as leaders of several traditional confessions of Russia [Islam, Judaism, Buddhism], TASS reports.
On the basis of the results of this meeting, a special declaration was adopted in which the council called for respect of the rights of believers in zones of military conflicts. The statement deals with concern about the fate of believers of traditional religions in territories of the Middle East, North Africa, and Ukraine. . . . (tr. by PDS, posted 21 December 2014)
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