Russian Orthodox Bishop Blames War in Ukraine on Occult Practices and Abortions

A senior cleric of the Russian Orthodox Church has blamed the continuation of Russia’s war against Ukraine on occult practices and abortions, according to a report by The Moscow Times on Februery 3.

Bishop Pitirim (Tvorogov), who heads the Skopin Diocese, said the pursuit of peace was being obstructed by what he described as a surge in “unclean forces” summoned by Russians turning to magic and esotericism.

Citing church-linked figures, he claimed that the number of psychics, sorcerers, tarot readers, numerologists, and other occult practitioners in Russia tripled in 2024 and continued to grow in 2025, alongside rising sales of “occult items.” “In a country at war, a huge number of people are calling on unclean forces for help,” Pitirim said.

The Russian Orthodox Church has repeatedly framed the war against Ukraine in moral and spiritual terms. Earlier, Russian leader Vladimir Putin even marked the Orthodox Christmas holiday by drawing a comparison between Russian soldiers and Jesus Christ, calling their mission a “sacred” one.

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The bishop also accused Russian women who choose not to give birth of undermining peace efforts, The Moscow Times wrote.

According to him, repeated failed attempts to end the war prove there is “no God’s will for peace,” which he attributed to widespread abortions and what he called an increasingly “unrighteous” way of life.

The Russian Orthodox Church also previously held a newly approved nationwide prayer service urging women not to have abortions.

The service is described in church materials as an “admonition for those intending to destroy an infant in the womb,” and came as Russian authorities and the Church intensify efforts to address demographic decline.

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