Russian media, both mainstream and the large, boisterous, and influential alternative media, have erupted with discussion of the escalating confrontation at the Kiev Caves Lavra, the seat of Ukraine's historical Christian church, and Ukraine's most important monastery, in the heart of Kiev.

The news cycle has propelled the topic to the number one in the Russian media over the past few days, no small feat considering the cascading events of world importance which seem more and more to be connected with Russia: the war in Ukraine, a global geopolitical realignment with the non-West, economic fallout from sanctions, etc.

God works in mysterious ways, and it is not at all certain that the government's risky move to expel the Ukrainian church out of the monastery will not backfire spectacularly, or that it might reverse course, realizing it has set off a destabilizing firestorm. The term 'the government' here is a fuzzy one because one can only imagine the bewildering jumble of crisscrossing interests weighing in on the subject: US handlers in Langley, Christ-hating neocon zealots in Victoria Nuland's State Department, influential Ukrainian rabbis, militant pagan military battalions, craven Patriarch Bartholemew in Instanbul, bought and sold 10 times over by the CIA. One can hardly envy Zelensky's predicament in negotiating this minefield, or have much confidence in this mutating blob's ability to make rational decisions. For brevity's sake, this article will use the term 'Zelensky' to refer to said blob.

The situation has turned into a standoff in Kiev, with the monks defying the government's order to vacate, which they were told to do by the day before yesterday, March 29. The abbott of the monastery released a blistering video yesterday telling Zelensky to be 'afraid', be very afraid. Here is what he said:

"I tell you, Mr. President, and your pack of wolves, that our tears will not fall on the ground, they will all fall on your head. Do you think today that by getting into power on our backs you can do this to us? God will forgive neither you, nor your family in this deed. ... Woe to you! Be very afraid!"

This is turning into a Kiev street fight. For readers who don't speak Russian or Ukrainian, the good abbott's demeanor is angry, contemptuous, and defiant. Here is the video:

A few days before that, the same abbott warned Zelensky that the saints of Kiev would withdraw their prayerful protection of the city, something Zelensky probably could care less about, but which many Kievans would find distressing.

At the same time, thousands of adherents to the Ukrainian church are flocking to the monastery, mostly women of all ages and old men (most young men are at the front, or have fled to the EU), apparently intent on staying there to protect the monks.

In another development, one of the monks has defected to the rival and fake alternative church, the OCU, hastily cobbled together over the past few years courtesy of US tax dollars and spooks, and is calling on the other monks to join him. He was immediately rewarded for his treachery by being named 'abbott' of the monastery from the rival church.

It seems that every couple of hours there is a new headline out of Kiev, relics being seized as 'museum artifacts', bishops going on hunger strikes, Zelensky imperiously turning away the venerable synod who physically showed up on his doorstep asking for a meeting, parishioners getting tear-gassed, expressions of support and outrage from around the world. We wrote recently about how this is turning into PR debacle for Zelensky in the West, which he can ill afford as enthusiasm wanes for his insatiable hunger for money which he steals throws into the bottomless pit of war in the country's East.

Stepping back for a minute, it is clear that this is a risky move for Zelensky. Let's try to understand the calculus here. He has hijacked the Ukraine, and started a war with Russia many say he can't win. His armies are fighting for their lives on the Eastern front. Prudence would suggest that this is not a good time to antagonize the home front, most of which is loyal to the very church he is doing his best to repress. One would presume that he doesn't want grandma writing to junior on the frontlines telling him that the president is a demonic rat fink. On the other hand, knowing that he is a creature of the Great Satan on the Potomac, he understands intuitively, as do the coterie on which he depends, that the Ukrainian church is his mortal enemy, and cannot be trusted, regardless of their claims of allegiance, for these are made, after all, with the barrel of an M16 shoved in their face. So he is on horns of a devilish dilemma.

The worst outcome for Zelensky is if he have his goons haul the monks and babushkas out of the monastery, cracking heads with billy-clubs. What a payday that would be for Kremlin propagandists! What does seem clear is that nothing will happen anytime soon, and that the suspense and drama will continue for weeks, as the blob tries to figure out what to do.

Significantly, this is all coming to a head just as Zelensky's armies are supposedly about to launch their long-expected Spring offensive, about which there is as much confusion as inside the monastery. Some argue that the Ukrainian military is a spent force and have effectively already lost the war, while others argue that, in fact, they have assembled a formidable iron fist which Russia might not be able to withstand, and said fist could well smash the Russians and deal them a devasting blow. Which version is closer to the truth is beyond the competence of your humble Orthodox correspondent, but what does seem indisputable is that events on the battlefield in the coming weeks could well be decisive and alter the course of history. One can see some Zelensky advisors arguing, yes, and that is why we should smash the church now, and others saying, this is absolutely the wrong time to do so. How things will actually go is anyone's guess.

Russian media find all this irresistable, and the airwaves are full of pundits punditing on the relentless flow of headlines from the monastery. It is causing much soul searching and discussion of the spiritual nature of the unfolding conflict, on the battlefield and the home front.

The news section of Orthochristian.com is doing a good job keeping up with the blow by blow events in Kiev, for those who want more details.