The Russian Orthodox Church has denied information that part of the relics of Prince Dmitry Donskoy was lost during the fighting in the Liman region, reports News.bg.
The claims have appeared in Russian and Ukrainian media and channels that the casket with a piece of the relics was abandoned during the retreat of Russian servicemen from the Liman region. There has been no independent confirmation of this version so far. The representative of the Russian Orthodox Church, Vakhtang Kipshidze, told Vedomosti that the information was a "malicious fabrication."
The relics of Dmitry Donskoy were discovered in July during restoration work at the Archangel Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. In August, Patriarch Kirill announced that the remains had been identified as those of the medieval Russian prince.
In September, the Russian Orthodox Church sent some of the relics to Russian military units in Donbas. The church described the initiative as a way to "spiritually strengthen" the servicemen. The coffin was also transported to Russian military units in the Kupyansk and Liman regions.
After reports of the possible loss of the relic appeared, the Russian Orthodox Church officially denied the information. There is currently no public data confirming that the relics were left on the battlefield.
Thus, the claim about the loss of the relic remains unconfirmed, while the official position of the ROC is that there was no such loss.