Putin Accused of Adopting Nazi-Era Tactics as Russia Targets Ukraine's Religious Landmarks

Russia's latest strikes on religious landmarks in Ukraine have prompted fresh accusations that President Vladimir Putin is using tactics reminiscent of those employed by Nazi Germany during the Second World War, according to researchers, lawmakers and Western officials.

The claims intensified after a recent attack damaged the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra monastery complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with experts arguing that the destruction of places of worship forms part of a campaign against Ukraine's cultural and spiritual identity.

However, this is not the first time Putin has attacked religious landmarks.

Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, launched in February 2022, has been accompanied by repeated allegations that cultural and religious sites have been deliberately targeted. The latest criticism follows renewed missile and drone attacks on Kyiv, where the centuries-old monastery complex suffered significant damage.

While the accusations are serious, legal responsibility for any alleged war crimes has not been determined by a court, and investigations into attacks on protected cultural sites remain ongoing.

Putin's Attack Is Similar to Nazis' Strategy

Among the strongest criticisms comes from Mercedes Sapuppo, a scholar at the Atlantic Council who studies alleged Russian war crimes in Ukraine. She argues that Moscow's campaign against churches, monasteries, synagogues, and other places of worship mirrors historical efforts by Nazi Germany to undermine occupied societies by attacking their religious and cultural foundations.

According to Sapuppo, strikes on sacred sites are not isolated incidents but fit into what she describes as a strategy aimed at weakening communities by erasing symbols of identity and shared history.

She also points to reported killings of clergy and the detention of religious leaders in occupied territories as part of the same pattern.

The recent damage to Kyiv Pechersk Lavra has become the latest flashpoint. The monastery, founded in the 11th century, is regarded as one of Eastern Orthodoxy's holiest sites and has long been recognised by UNESCO for its historical and architectural importance. UNESCO describes the complex as one of Christianity's most significant pilgrimage destinations, featuring churches, underground caves and centuries of religious artwork.

The comparison with Nazi Germany has gained additional attention because the monastery itself was bombed during the Nazi occupation of Kyiv more than eight decades ago. Critics argue that seeing the same site damaged again under a different war has added powerful symbolism to the latest attack.

International Condemnation

The strike drew condemnation from French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, who said the attack on Kyiv Pechersk Lavra would be comparable to bombing Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, highlighting the monastery's global cultural significance.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte also criticised the attack during recent remarks in Washington, describing the strike on the UNESCO-listed monastery as another example of Russia targeting civilian and historic infrastructure. Following a visit to Kyiv, Rutte stressed that Ukraine continued to require additional air defence systems to protect cities and heritage sites from ongoing missile and drone attacks.

The destruction extends beyond a single monastery.

According to UNESCO, more than 500 cultural and religious sites across Ukraine have been damaged since the invasion began. Those figures do not include the latest strike on Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, suggesting the overall toll continues to rise.

The allegations have also reached Washington. Members of the US House of Representatives are backing the proposed Countering Russia's War on Faith Act, legislation that calls for closer monitoring of attacks on religious communities in Ukraine and sanctions against Russian officials found responsible. The bill states that more than 50 Ukrainian priests, pastors and other religious leaders have been killed since the invasion began, while others have reportedly been abducted, detained or tortured in occupied areas.

Legal experts note that intentionally directing attacks against buildings dedicated to religion, education, or historic preservation may constitute a war crime under the Rome Statute, which established the International Criminal Court. Prosecutors at the ICC have already issued an arrest warrant for Putin over the alleged unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children, although Russia rejects the court's jurisdiction and denies committing war crimes in Ukraine.

Sapuppo believes continued attacks on religious landmarks could ultimately strengthen future prosecutions if investigators determine they were deliberately targeted. She argues that the campaign against Ukraine's churches, monasteries and other sacred sites should be viewed alongside broader allegations involving civilian infrastructure, forced deportations and efforts to erase Ukrainian national identity.