Orthodox Under Fire

Colby Barrett is an entrepreneur, filmmaker, and former U.S. Marine Corps Captain who led infantry and scout/sniper platoons in the Pacific Rim and Middle East. He holds a JD from Yale Law School and most recently served as CEO of a $1B+ business.

Barrett first traveled to Ukraine in early 2024 to document the persecution of evangelical Protestants by Russian forces, a project that became the documentary A Faith Under Siege. As his work deepened, he uncovered a broader and largely misunderstood reality: Russian military occupation has brought systematic pressure, violence, and repression against religious communities across Ukraine—affecting Orthodox, Catholic, Protestant, and other faith traditions.

Since then, Barrett has expanded his filmmaking to include multiple film projects focused on different denominations and religious traditions, tracing how houses of worship have been destroyed, clergy detained or expelled, and religious life forcibly reshaped under occupation. While aspects of this persecution have been reported, Barrett believes the full scope remains poorly understood in the United States—particularly among religious Americans.

Through his work, Barrett seeks to demystify the reality of religious persecution in Ukraine, counter disinformation, and help American audiences understand how the war is being experienced not only as a military conflict, but as a crisis of religious freedom.

Yes — especially by Russians in Russian-occupied regions.

In areas controlled by Russian forces, Orthodox Christians who do not submit to Moscow face church seizures, intimidation, and arrest. Orthodox churches have also suffered more damage than any other faith group in the war.

Source:  https://www.mar.in.ua/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Report-February-2025-1.pdf

Ukraine has two main Orthodox churches:

• UOC (Ukrainian Orthodox Church) — historically linked to Moscow but made up of clergy and believers who identify as Ukrainian.

• OCU (Orthodox Church of Ukraine) — Ukraine’s independent Orthodox church, internationally recognized since 2019.

In Russian-occupied areas, both churches face pressure when they refuse Moscow control — including raids, property seizures, and forced closures.

Source: https://www.uscirf.gov/sites/default/files/2023-07/2023%20Russias%20Religious%20Freedom%20Violations%20in%20Ukraine%20Issue%20Update_07.05.2023.pdf?

• Orthodox churches are the most heavily damaged.396 Orthodox churches and religious buildings have been damaged or destroyed — more than any other faith group.

Source: https://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2647&context=ree

The overall toll is severe.As of February 2, 2025, at least 643 places of worship have been damaged or destroyed across Ukraine.

Source: https://www.mar.in.ua/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Report-February-2025-1.pdf?

• Entire churches have been erased.53 religious buildings have been completely destroyed.

  • 31 belonged to the UOC

  • 5 belonged to the OCU

Source: https://www.mar.in.ua/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Report-February-2025-1.pdf?

• Clergy are being targeted.A U.S. Senate resolution documents 43 cases of direct persecution of clergy and 109 incidents of intimidation or detention in occupied regions.

Source: U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee (Feb 2025)

Orthodox Christians are among the primary victims of religious persecution in Ukraine. In Russian-occupied territories, faith communities that refuse Moscow control are systematically pressured, silenced, or erased.

This is not collateral damage — this is intentional. 

Visit faithundersiege.com to learn more or watch our series on Angel Studios at angel.com