Despite what many media outlets want people to believe, when it comes down to the nitty gritty numbers the Russian Orthodox Church’s humanitarian aid to Ukrainian refugees leads a head and shoulders above the rest:

·      Since March the Church headquarters has processed more that 15,000 appeals.

·      The Church’s department for charity has collected more than 225 million rubles ($4,385,235).

·      The Church’s philanthropy department sent an additional 158.2 million rubles ($2,720,565).

·      Within Russia itself, the Church collected, purchased, and handed over 1,900 tons of aid. 1,200 tons were sent to Ukraine, and 700 tons where distributed to the refugees living in Russia.

·      55 church institutions in Russia, Germany, and Ukraine opened their doors to refugees provided shelter and food.

·      Since March the targeted aid center in Moscow has received and helped 15,110 appeals from refugees.

·      Since March the Church’s hospitals have received and aided 511 patients.

·      Additionally, the hospitals since March have had 1,199 volunteers apply to learn basic medical aid and of those so far 348 volunteers having graduated the course.

These impressive statistics don’t even count individual Russian Orthodox Christian’s compassion and aid, nor the spiritual prayers and services, nor the excursions planned for all the refugee children, nor the cities and homes that have provided hospitality to these refugees, nor a thousand more simple beautiful human acts of kindness and love from a warm meal to soap for a bath to a bed to sleep in at night.

Contrary to popular belief, Russia finds no pleasure in this war. Russians do not hate Ukrainians. And the Russian Orthodox Church is the leading source of compassionate aid to these poor Ukrainians fleeing the destruction of their homeland.