Russian soldiers are said to have lost fragments of the relics of the medieval prince Dmitri Donskoi during their retreat from the area of the city of Lyman, in the Donetsk region. The remains were exhumed and sent to the front, to encourage the Russian soldiers.
Vladimir Putin prayed to them and said they are “miraculous”. Information appeared on Telegram channels that the soldiers were attending a service when they were attacked by Ukrainians.
They would have been forced to abandon the relics and retreat hastily. The Russian Orthodox Church denies this information and considers it hostile.
In July, restorers opened the sarcophagus with the relics of Dmitri Donskoi, kept in a cathedral in Moscow, reports Antena3. The prince is known for his victory in 1380 against the army of Mamai’s Horde, in the Battle of Kulikovo.
Small fragments of bones were placed in special reliquaries and transported near the front line.
This is not the first time the Russian army has received such religious relics. Fragments of the relics of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker, Saints Peter and Fevronia of Murom, Saint Luke of Crimea, and Matrona of Moscow have been brought to the front before.