Understaffed Russian military under fire: A look into Patriarch Kirill's promotion of child soldiers

Kirill, whose real name is Vladimir Gundyaev, is a part of Russia's highest military-political leadership. He was among the first to publicly express his support for the full-scale war that Russia is waging against Ukraine.

Kirill frequently uses his position to disseminate pro-Kremlin propaganda. He uses the faithful communities that are under his jurisdiction in Russia and representatives of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate for this purpose.

Patriarch Kirill maintains strong ties with Vladimir Putin and supports his actions. However, these are not beneficial for many Russians. In 2023, nearly 300 Russian soldiers were killed daily in Ukraine.

Due to staff deficits in the Russian military, Putin has called on women to have more children. In contrast, Kirill has centred his attention on the youngest Russians.

"Childhood is an excellent time to learn to defend the homeland," Kirill stressed, implying that Russia should prepare children for war from an early age.

According to the independent Russian services Mediazona and Mozhem Objasnit, there was a noticeable increase in the number of desertions from Russian military units in 2023 compared to previous years. Maybe this is why Kirill is advocating for a second chance for the "misguided." However, he does not abandon manipulation and the false association of Kremlin criticism with lack of patriotism.

"If people who left Russia and perhaps voiced opposition against it somewhere return with the understanding that they really made a mistake, then their homeland cannot reject them," Patriarch Kirill stated during a service.