The Russian Orthodox Church sent a relic of Dmitry Donskoy to Donetsk to boost the morale of Russian soldiers

The Russian Orthodox Church sent a fragment of the right hand of Grand Prince Dmitry Donskoy to the front in Ukraine, presenting him as the “saintly commander,” to bolster the morale of Russian troops. The relic arrived in Donetsk, a Ukrainian region claimed and partially occupied by Russia, in the fifth year of the war.

Donskoy’s stone sarcophagus—he died in 1389 and is venerated for his victory over the Golden Horde at the Battle of Kulikovo in 1380—was discovered this summer during work at the Cathedral of the Archangel Michael in the Kremlin. Vladimir Putin inspected the remains and described them as an “absolutely unique and wonderful” discovery.

The relic, kept in an ornate casket and protected by security glass, is due to be presented to Russian military units along the front line, which stretches for more than 1,000 kilometers. In Donetsk, military commanders, Moscow-installed officials and clergy took part in a religious ceremony and kissed the relic.

The Russian Orthodox Church, a consistent supporter of Putin’s war, has portrayed the gesture as a source of divine support for the army. Critics accuse the Moscow Patriarchate, however, of violating religious traditions to demonstrate its loyalty to the Kremlin and of turning a historical discovery into an instrument of patriotic propaganda.