Support The Moscow Times!

Russian Military Plans To Train Orthodox Priests To Operate Combat Vehicles

Vladimir Smirnov / TASS

The Russian military plans to train Orthodox Church priests to drive combat vehicles and operate military communications equipment to prepare them for emergency situations in battle.

Around 30 chaplains embedded with the Airborne Troops will board Russia’s BMD-4M infantry fighting vehicles next week, the state-run TASS news agency cited an Omsk church official as saying Thursday.

“Clergy on tour with the Airborne Troops in ‘hotspots’ are often forced to evacuate wounded soldiers from the battlefield in armoured personnel carriers,” a spokesperson for the Omsk diocese told TASS, explaining the reasoning behind the military workshop.

“It’s good if the priest was a military man and knows what to do from his own experience. But what if he doesn’t?” the official was cited as saying.

According to the official, the priests will be prohibited from training with weapons and will only learn how to operate combat vehicles and communications equipment. The workshop will be held at a military training center outside the Siberian city of Omsk next week, TASS reported.

“What if the only hope for saving the wounded lies with the unarmed regimental priest, who doesn’t know how to operate a combat vehicle or initiate communications?” the official asked.

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just 2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue

Read more