As a result of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, at least 494 religious buildings, theological institutions, and sacred places were wholly destroyed, damaged, or looted by the Russian military.

The Ukrainian Institute for Religious Freedom presented this updated data on the impact of the war during the Summit on International Religious Freedom (IRF Summit 2023) held in Washington, D.C.

According to the IRF Ukraine, since the presentation at last year’s IRF Summit, in July 2022, the number of religious infrastructure facilities in Ukraine affected by Russian aggression has more than doubled.

The Institute for Religious Freedom also documented many cases of seizure of religious buildings in Ukraine and their further use as Russian military bases or to conceal the firing positions of Russian troops. This tactic of the Russian military provokes an increase in the scale of destruction of religious sites in Ukraine.

Also documented were targeted attacks on religious figures and believers by the Russian military and intelligence services, primarily in the occupied territories of Ukraine.