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Ms. Park Tae-yeon is a recently retired Korean missionary who served in Russia as a children's ministry worker with Child Evangelism Fellowship. At the age of 69, she decided that it was time for her to retire and return to Korea. Reflecting on her 33 years of ministry, the Christian woman described herself as "married to Russia."

In both Russia and areas of Ukraine that are currently occupied by Russian troops, unregistered churches have been experiencing increasing pressures. Officials have forced some congregations to close, while threatening others with penalties if they continue to gather for worship.

In the city of Rostov-on-Don, Pastor Oleg Volkov was recently fined for "unlawful missionary activity" due to his involvement with an unregistered church. Prosecutors have since sought to ban the church itself because its members refuse to undergo state registration.

Courts have issued bans on at least ten congregations belonging to the Council of Churches Baptist denomination. Despite these restrictions, many believers continue to meet, often in private homes. However, a new bill has been introduced by Russia's parliament which would outlaw public worship services and any religious ceremonies in residential buildings. Debate on the bill is scheduled for May 2026. If passed, the legislation would directly affect many congregations. More information on the oppression of Russia's Christians can be accessed here.

Similar actions have occurred in Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine. On January 25th, Russian police and military officers raided worship services in Krasnodon, as well as those of a church located in a nearby village. The officers ordered all men to stand while they recorded the identities of everyone present. One church leader, Pastor Rytikov, was taken to the police station for interrogation, where officials warned that if his congregation continued to refuse registration, police would disrupt every future service.

For many years, official registration has been rejected by groups such as the Council of Churches Baptist due to concerns over governmental control. For further reports addressing the challenges experienced by churches in occupied Ukraine, go to this page.

• Continue to pray for followers of Christ in Russia and Russian-occupied Ukraine who are being subjected to intense opposition, asking God to spiritually strengthen them, protect their gatherings, and provide His divine wisdom for every decision they must make.
• May the Holy Spirit move mightily within the hearts and minds of Russia's governing leaders, prompting meaningful changes in policies and attitudes towards religious freedom.
• Pray for the churches' ongoing outreach efforts, asking that – despite the present challenges – multitudes more will powerfully encounter the truth of the Gospel and, as a result, experience God's saving grace.

Courts in Russia have prohibited the activities of several Council of Churches Baptist congregations due to their refusal to register with the state. As a result, at least five church buildings were forcibly closed, and three more are presently under investigation. A court order issued in September 2024 applies to all the congregations of this denomination, which comprise of an estimated 2,500 churches.

This Friday, February 24th, marks one year since the Russian offensive in Ukraine began, a war that has resulted in the death of thousands, the destruction of whole cities and the forced displacement of millions of people. The outbreak was triggered by a major escalation of tensions, which have been simmering since the Russian annexation of the Crimean Peninsula in 2014, and the ongoing struggles with Russian-backed separatists in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine.

Evangelical believers in Russia were forced to pay what is being called a "tax on faithfulness" in 2022, and this year that price is expected to increase. Throughout the country, basic Christian activities have been investigated and punished as crimes. "Believers paid fines, appealed their decisions, and in most cases lost their appeals," reported Dr. Hyun Sook Foley from The Voice of the Martyrs Korea. "It is a trend that The Voice of the Martyrs Korea is monitoring closely as 2023 begins."

On April 6th, the Theological Institute run by the Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Ingria was stripped of its higher education license. Another Lutheran college in Russia is in the process of fighting a similar action. The colleges of the Baptist Union and Pentecostal Union have likewise lost their licenses, and other colleges have been banned from accepting new students.

In July 2016, Russia passed religion laws restricting "illegal missionary activity" by either citizens or foreigners. This activity could involve speaking to people about religion, or the distribution of either printed, audio or video materials. Between January and June of this year, there have been 42 known prosecutions, resulting in 36 convictions. All those who were convicted received fines.

Legislation governing religious communities in Russia is complex, contradictory, and often inconsistently applied. In one recent case, a church community was barred from using its place of worship, even though it has done so for two decades.

The Verkhnebakansky Baptist Church in Novorossiysk has been worshipping in a two-story building in a residential area for years. There were no problems until the spring of 2018 when a change of government administration brought new attitudes toward religious communities. One church in the city has been demolished and another banned from using its building. The door of the Verkhnebakansky church building was sealed in early July.

Several religious educational institutions are facing fines, suspension orders, and more, as part of what is considered systemic and intentional obstruction. Yet, the institutions insist there were no violations committed.

Two prominent institutions -- the Baptist Union's Moscow Theological Seminary and the Pentecostal Union's Eurasian Theological Seminary -- are included in recent actions taken as a result of inspections from the federal education inspectorate. In each case, no specific deficiencies were identified to justify the penalties.

Churches in the Nizhny Novgorod Region of Russia have been facing increasing pressure from law enforcement officials in recent months. According to Forum 18, this pressure includes the use of "anti-missionary" legislation and immigration law. The result has been punishment for churches and their members for things such as inviting foreign students to parties and posting worship videos on social media.