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Russia Sends Relics of 14th Century Prince to Ukraine Front

3 sources across 3 countries · Argentina · Brazil · United Kingdom

Who reported this

  • Infobae Argentina · Centre-right · Daniel Hadad
  • Folha de S.Paulo Brazil · Centre · Grupo Folha (Frias family)
  • Reuters United Kingdom · Centre · Thomson Reuters Corporation

What the colours mean

  • Left
  • Centre-left
  • Centre
  • Centre-right
  • Right
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The Russian Orthodox Church has sent bone fragments of Prince Dmitri Donskoi to Russian military units fighting in the Donetsk region of Ukraine. The relics, which include a piece of the prince's right hand, were discovered during restoration work at the Archangel Cathedral in the Kremlin. Donskoi, who lived from 1350 to 1389, is venerated as a saint and is famous for defeating the Golden Horde of Mongols at the Battle of Kulikovo in 1380. The church stated that the sacred commander will reinforce the spirit of the soldiers.

Local officials in the occupied territories welcomed the relics. Denis Pushilin, head of the self proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, called Donskoi a symbol of unity and victory. Leonid Pasechnik, head of the self proclaimed Lugansk People's Republic, expressed hope that the relics would protect young soldiers on the front line. President Vladimir Putin previously visited the relics in August and stated that the discovery reinforced the foundations of Russia.

Outlets with a center lean describe the move as part of a broader effort by Putin to use and rewrite history to justify his actions and create a narrative linking the Russian past to the present. Outlets with a center right lean frame the event as a calculated Kremlin strategy to boost troop morale by combining state nationalism with religious faith. The deployment of the relics occurs as Russian forces continue a slow advance in Donetsk, amid reports of significant casualties on both sides.

How each side framed it

Centre
Framed the event as part of Putin's habit of manipulating historical narratives to justify current political and military actions.
Centre-right
Framed the event as a calculated strategic move to boost military morale by blending state nationalism with religious faith.

Sources

100% of the statements in this article were traced back to the source articles listed above.