Perspectief 2019-44

Perspectief 108 MH17 – the Ukrainian Context on June 14, and AN-26 on July 14). On July 17, the separatists claimed that they shot another Ukrainian military aircraft. 13 Thus, the above-mentioned Igor Girkin reported on downing a plane in the Russian social network VKontakte, just 25 minutes after the catastrophe: “In the area of Torez, they just downed the aircraft AN-26. It lies about somewhere behind the mine ‘Progress.’ And we have warned: do not fly in ‘our sky.’ The birdie fell down behind the terricon, did not touch the residential area. Civilians are not injured.” 14 When he was sued in court by the relatives of those who died in the crash, he sarcastically called them “mutants.” 15 Another version looks more like a conspiracy theory. It was articulated by the former head of the Ukrainian security service (SBU) Valentyn Nalyvaychenko. 16 He suggested that the Russians targeted a civil flight by Aeroflot, which was also flying at that time not far from MH17. The Kremlin wanted to blame for its catastroph the Ukrainian side and to use it as a pretext to start an open invasion to the Ukrainian territory. 10. Orthodoxy Girkin, who committed multiple crimes, including tortures and execution of the Ukrainian prisoners of war, is also an Orthodox Christian. He worked for a Russian businessman Kon- stantin Malofeyef, who is also a devoted member of the Russian Orthodox Church. Malofeyev was one of the main sponsors of the Russian intrusion to Ukraine. Girkin’s joy about downing the plane, although he did not yet know that this was a civil aircraft, was shared by other Orthodox activists, such as, for instance, the press officer of the Horlivka diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church Svetlana Okhrimenko. However, they are people who look at religion from political perspective, as a useful in- strument to pursue their political agendas. In my recent book Political Orthodoxies , 17 I have explored some cases of such political utilization of religion, including the concept of the Russian world. This concept, I believe drove people such as Girkin to take guns and come to Ukraine with war. In some sense, MH17 fell a victim to the ideologeme of the Russian world.