A report published by the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) recommends that a prominent Moscow priest be expelled from the denomination because he refused to pray for Russia’s victory after Putin invaded Ukraine in 2022, Premier Christian News reports.

In September 2022, ROC’s leader, Patriarch Kirill, who is a close ally of Vladimir Putin, issued a proclamation entitled “Prayer for Holy Rus’ to be read in ROC churches around the world. Rus is an ancient term used for Russia.

The prayer calls on God to fight against the enemies of Russia who are trying to divide the nation, and specifically calls on God to “grant us [Russia] victory through Your power.”

Dozens of ROC Priests across Russia have faced discipline for challenging the denomination’s position on the war, including making minor changes to the prayer, such as replacing the word ‘victory’ with the word ‘peace.’

Aleksiy Uminsky, who pastors Moscow’s Church of the Life-Giving Holy Trinity, is the latest priest to face the ax after he refused to cite the required prayer during a recent service.

The report calling for Uminsky’s expulsion has been forwarded to Patriarch Kirill for the final decision. Uminsky is the most prominent pastor to voice his concerns about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

It is estimated that over 300,000 Russians have died since the invasion started in February 2022.