UPDATE: Russian military archpriest Mikhail Vasiliev awarded ‘Hero of Russia’ title posthumously following death in Ukraine

RUSSIAN President Vladimir Putin awarded military archpriest Mikhail Vasiliev the title of ‘Hero of Russia’ posthumously following his death from HIMARS shrapnel wounds in Ukraine.

UPDATE 12.05 am (November 9) – Following the death of Russian military archpriest Mikhail Vasiliev, who worked as the rector of the Church of St. Ilya Muromets and the Holy Great Martyr Barbara in Vlasikha, Moscow region, which was reported on Sunday, November 6, Putin posthumously awarded him the title of Hero of Russia.

❗Владимир Путин присвоил звание Героя России протоиерею Михаилу Васильеву, погибшему в ходе СВО pic.twitter.com/niY1ecf4ea

— Газета.Ru (@GazetaRu) November 8, 2022

Vasilyev was a controversial figure.

In a TV interview last month, he reportedly said that Russian women should “be fruitful and multiply” and even suggested that by having more children, the women “would not find it so painful and terrifying to part with her children” when they leave (and die) in battle.

Following his death, the Russian Orthodox Church announced that Vasilyev had died “while carrying out pastoral duties in the area of the special military operation in Ukraine on the morning of November 6.”

Vasilyev is believed to have been at least the third member of the Russian Orthodox Church killed in Ukraine since the beginning of the war in February.

ORIGINAL 2.24 pm (November 6) – Russian military archpriest Mikhail Vasiliev, who worked as the rector of the Church of St. Ilya Muromets and the Holy Great Martyr Barbara in Vlasikha, Moscow region, died from HIMARS shrapnel wounds in Ukraine, as reported on Sunday, November 6.

The Russian military archpriest had been fighting in an unconfirmed area of Ukraine when he suffered shrapnel wounds from a HIMARS explosion and died from his injuries.

Russia’s 76 Guards Airborne Troops Pskov ZOV wrote on social media: “Today, on November 6, 2022, Archpriest Mikhail Vladimirovich Vasiliev, who was in combat positions among our paratroopers, was wounded and died from a shrapnel HIMARS explosion three metres from him.

“The former rector of the Church of the Airborne Troops in Sokolniki had served as the rector of the Church of St. Ilya Muromets and the Holy Great Martyr Barbara in Vlasikha, Moscow region, since 2017.”

The Airborne Troops added: “In 2002-2004, he visited Chechnya, edified and mentored our Pskov guys. Bless his memory 💔🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻.”

News of his death spread via social media and has been commented on by Ukrainian social media accounts.

One person wrote: “He was called by his god to give explanations for all the garbage that he did.”

Был вызван своим богом для дачи объяснений всей той хуйни, что он творил.

— MbI.yMepvN.B.PoccNN 💀👤💀 (@ymepvn) November 6, 2022

While another person wrote: “Straight to hell.”

Прямо в ад https://t.co/nIHVK3c3YT

— Ольга (@OlgaOlgaOlgaOl) November 6, 2022

The news comes after a pro-Russian rector at a university in Ukraine’s Kherson was seriously injured after an explosion at her home.

On Monday, September 12, reports circulated that Tetyana Tomilina, a local state university rector in Kherson, was seriously wounded after an explosive device went off in her apartment building.

The pro-Russian rector was blown up in an explosion at the entrance of the building in Kherson, between the second and third floors.

Tomilina is believed to have lived in a flat on the third floor.

Ukrainian media outlets stated at the time that the explosion left Tomilina in critical condition and killed another person.

Earlier on November 6, Russian state-controlled media outlet RIA Novosti reported that Ukraine’s Armed Forces had fired a HIMARS system at the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant.

Prior to that, Ukraine mocked Russia for not being able to destroy a single of the country’s HIMARS since invading in February.

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