(Crux).
Ukraine’s leading Catholic archbishop says an independent Ukraine is synonymous with religious freedom. The Head of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk was speaking in his address marking the 122th week of the full-scale Russian invasion. In his video message, Shevchuk said the last week was marked by Russia’s “war crimes against the civilian population of Ukraine.” Russia illegally annexed Crimea in 2014 and launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. There have been increased aerial attacks by both sides in the past few months, and intense fighting continues in the east of the country.