Russian Orthodox Church Rejects Claims Troops Lost St. Dmitry Donskoy Relics in Ukraine

Telegram sources claimed Russian troops lost pieces of the medieval prince St. Dmitry Donskoy’s relics during a retreat near the eastern Ukrainian city of Lyman, prompting the Russian Orthodox Church to deny the allegation. Vakhtang Kipshidze, deputy head of the church’s societal and media department, labeled the narrative a fabricated anti-church smear. The relics were originally uncovered in the Moscow Kremlin’s Archangel Cathedral in July and were later dispatched to the front line after President Vladimir Putin visited them for prayer.

Journalist Ksenia Luchenko noted that relics of other saints, such as St. Nicholas and St. Luke of Crimea, have similarly been taken to combat zones. The disputed report appeared as Ukrainian forces advanced in the Donetsk region, recapturing areas around Lyman and threatening Russian positions near Sloviansk.