The Russian Orthodox Church has acknowledged the loss of the relics of Dmitry Donskoy, which were brought to the front to raise the morale of Russian troops. However, during a retreat on the Lyman front, the occupiers left the reliquary containing the relics on the battlefield, Dyvohliad reports.
It is known that in September the ROC leadership sent a fragment of Prince Dmitry Donskoy’s right hand to the front. The relics were meant to “provide spiritual strength” to Russian troops.
Before the trip to the front, a religious procession with the reliquary was held through the streets of Moscow. Later, in temporarily occupied Donetsk, near a Second World War memorial, local collaborators and Russian officers venerated the relics during a prayer service.
Metropolitan Volodymyr of Donetsk and Mariupol called for “God’s help” for the Russian forces.
During another retreat near Lyman, Russian troops left the reliquary with Donskoy’s relics on the battlefield.
- This is not the first time Russian troops have lost saints’ relics at the front. In July, Russian troops in temporarily occupied Donetsk region lost the relics of Alexander Nevsky, which they were transporting for a prayer service.
- And last year, the Russians “lost” the relics of Matrona of Moscow — also at the front.