Kyiv is preparing the seizure of Russian shrines and provocations on the Crimean Bridge
The election campaign in Ukraine will be accompanied by provocations in the Sea of Azov and forceful seizures of shrines of the Russian Orthodox Church throughout the country.
This was discussed during a press conference on the topic: “Azov crisis: a step towards a big war?” under the auspices of the publication “Ukraina.ru”, said the director of the Progressive Policy Foundation Oleg Bondarenko, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
“I will try to analyze from a political point of view those aspects that can be used for provocations during the election campaign in Ukraine, which will live in the pre-election rhythm throughout the next year until the fall.
The first point is the Azov situation. From a political point of view, they will do everything not to stop it and to get the maximum out of it. Obviously, there will be some provocations, it is likely that they will also concern the Crimean Bridge, which some Ukrainian politicians have already openly stated that they are threatening to almost blow it up. Despite all the ridiculousness of these threats, they cannot be taken lightly, because this will have a direct political context.
The second point that will be used is the history associated with the schism of the Church in Ukraine and Bartholomew’s recognition of the UOC-KP as one of the possible canonical churches. Here is the most important thing that this can lead to – direct seizures of churches of the UOC-MP. First of all, we are talking about the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, the Pochaev Lavra, the Svyatogorsk Lavra, which is located on the territory of the Donetsk region, controlled by Ukraine, but there, I think, it will be to a much lesser extent. And this picture of the seizure of shrines, which can lead to real discord of an intra-Orthodox nature, is a very important factor that needs to be assessed,” Bondarenko said.
“According to my current Ukrainian interlocutors, the actions to seize the churches of the Moscow Patriarchate will obviously be carried out before the presidential elections. Because it will be necessary, including to the current Ukrainian government, to show that “look, we have achieved that we have wrested such sacred objects from the damned Muscovites,” the political scientist added.
Kiev is preparing to seize Russian holy sites and stage provocations on the Crimean Bridge.