Russian Priest Fined For Calling War In Ukraine A War
- By Current Time
A Russian Orthodox priest has been fined the equivalent of $330 by a regional court that found him guilty under war-related legislation rushed through parliament. Police first interviewed Father Ioann Burdin after he wrote an article on a parish website in which he used the word "war," which is illegal, and called bloodshed unacceptable, especially between people of the same faith. He appears to be the first person fined under the law for "discrediting" Russia's armed forces. Burdin, who was born in the Ukrainian city of Odesa, says the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24 left him wondering "how to carry on living."