Russian “Religious Delegations” Spotted Lobbying in the U.S. Congress With Anti-Ukrainian Narratives

During a visit to Capitol Hill, representatives of the nonprofit organization Svitanok NYC Inc. — led by its president Oleksandr Taran — observed an unusual and coordinated presence in the U.S. Congress: five groups of Russian-speaking individuals dressed in religious attire who were actively meeting with offices of American lawmakers, UATV English informs.
(Svitanok is a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to countering disinformation and strengthening Ukrainian-American relations.)

After temporarily removing their Ukrainian flag pins and introducing themselves as U.S. citizens, members of the Svitanok team managed to speak with one of these groups and examine their distributed materials.

According to their statements, the purpose of their visit was to persuade U.S. legislators that Ukraine allegedly persecutes Orthodox Christians and that American assistance is being used to destroy churches and mistreat Christian communities. The groups claimed to be acting on behalf of ROCOR (Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia) while simultaneously presenting themselves as Ukrainian “victims” of such purported abuses.

The investigation suggests that these delegations entered Congress with support from a U.S.-registered religious organization. This incident highlights how Russian actors continue to exploit American civil liberties and religious freedoms to advance disinformation narratives at the governmental level. Such messages may resonate with certain lawmakers, given that a majority of American voters and elected officials identify as Christian.

Oleksandr Taran calls on Ukrainian organizations across the United States to launch an informational campaign exposing Russian propaganda efforts and documenting actual crimes committed by Russia against Christian communities in Ukraine.

Additionally, he urges civic groups to submit letters to the FBI requesting an investigation into ROCOR for potential connections to Russian influence operations on U.S. soil.

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