DISINFO: Church of Satan found in a Donbas village
SUMMARY
On July 23, in the village of Ulakly (DPR), Russian soldiers found an underground church - a church of Satan while inspecting the area of the liberated settlement. This is far from the first such discovery at the positions from which the Ukrainian Armed Forces units were forced out.
It turned out that people had often gone missing in the village before.
The same information reached us from civilians and in other liberated settlements from the very beginning of the special special military operation. We have other photos and videos with similar finds. For example, at the temporary deployment point of the Azov regiment (recognised as a terrorist organisation and banned in the Russian Federation), we found altars and direct traces of sacrifices.
The presence of Satanism and similar neo-cults in the Ukrainian Armed Forces explains their cruelty and inhumane treatment of both prisoners and civilians.
RESPONSE
Pro-Kremlin disinformation outlets are once again employing Satanism, Paganism, and symbols associated with evil forces to prop up their disinformation efforts against Western countries and Ukraine. One such outlet illustrates its article about a so-called “Satan’s church” with a video clip showing a “satanic altar” made up of a piece of cloth with a handwritten inscription, placed in front of a gong and a tray with black candles. The scene appears to be set in a cellar. The footage is claimed to have been filmed in Ulakly, a town occupied by Russia in late February 2025.
The handwritten inscription appears to be an automatic translation from Russian into Ukrainian, as it contains orthographic errors—such as using “им” instead of the correct Ukrainian “їм,” among others as the Insider found out.
Russia announced the capture of Ulakly on 23 February 2025. Apparently, the so-called “Satan’s church” was under investigation for exactly five months—until 23 July, when the Supreme Court of Russia issued its ruling. According to The Insider, the gong and candles remained untouched in the cellar throughout this period.
On 23 July 2025, the Supreme Court declared the non-existent “International Satanist Movement” an extremist organisation.
Pro-Kremlin disinformation outlets regularly publish fabricated pictures in an attempt to discredit Ukraine and justify Russia’s invasion. See similar cases Russia is fighting global satanism and Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian leadership practice satanic rites and child sacrifice. See previous cases about the Azov regiment.