The Russian Orthodox Church has shipped a fragment of a medieval prince’s hand to soldiers fighting in occupied Donetsk in what it calls a morale-boosting mission.
The church, which backs President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, said the relic from Grand Prince Dmitry Donskoy would provide “spiritual strength” to troops and serve as a symbol of the “holy commander” standing alongside Moscow’s army. Donskoy died in 1389 and was canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church in 1988.
“A fragment of the Grand Prince’s right hand – the very same right hand with which he wielded his sword on Kulikovo Field – has been sent to the front to strengthen the soldiers’ spirits,” the Moscow Patriarchate said in a statement.
The relic was placed in a small ornate casket destined for display among combat units along the frontlines, according to the church.
Donskoy’s remains gained new attention this summer when his sarcophagus was uncovered during restoration work at Moscow’s Cathedral of the Archangel inside the Kremlin. The prince is revered by Russian nationalists for leading the defeat of the Mongol Golden Horde at the 1380 Battle of Kulikovo, a foundational moment in Russian national mythology.
The church’s gesture comes as Russia’s invasion stretches into its fifth year with staggering losses. Ukraine reported Russian battlefield casualties exceeded 42,000 in July alone. Critics and deserters have increasingly condemned Moscow’s tactics, describing them as a “meat grinder” approach of sending wave after wave of troops to overwhelm Ukrainian defenders.
The deployment to Donetsk carries particular symbolic weight given that Russia has failed to fully conquer the region, which is known as Ukraine’s fortress belt.
“By the fifth year of war, the Church leadership in Moscow began to wonder what else it could do to show its support for what Russia terms its ‘special military operation,'” Alexander Zanemonets, an Orthodox priest and historian based outside Russia, wrote in a note for the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center.
“It had already sent priests to the front lines, instituted mandatory prayers for Russian victory in every church, and flown icons over cities,” he added. “A state embroiled in war will try to compel all institutions, including religious ones, to participate in it.”
The church has steadily deepened its involvement in the conflict since the 2022 invasion, with Patriarch Kirill repeatedly framing the war as a spiritual crusade against the West and LGBTQ+ rights.
The relic transfer marks one of the most macabre examples yet of the institution’s efforts to sanctify the war effort. Donskoy’s sword hand, specifically chosen for its martial association, now joins priests, prayer mandates, and airborne icons as tools in the church’s campaign to sustain flagging military morale.