Kramatorsk (Ukraine) (AFP) – Near bloody battles between Ukrainian and Russian forces in east Ukraine, a very different kind of conflict is taking place – one for believers’ souls. Two rival Orthodox churches — one set up with the Ukrainian government’s backing in 2018 and an older church tied to Moscow — hold services in Kramatorsk, a town about 20 kilometres (12 miles) from the front line. Kyiv has sought to ban the Moscow-linked Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), arguing Russia has used it to spread influence.
