On February 22, 2026, while four Christians were holding a worship service in a private home in the city of Kazan, Russia, an assistant prosecutor and three security officers entered the premises, waited for the gathering to end and then arrested them. Those detained, Ivan Moshechkov, Mikhail Dresvyannikov, Anton Guberbernov and Farhat Aitov, are members of the International Union of Evangelical Christian Baptists, an association that refuses to register with the Russian state out of theological conviction.
On April 29, 2026, the magistrate's court in Kazan's Kirovsky District ordered each of the four to pay a fine of 15,000 Russian rubles (about R$800) for "illegal missionary activity", under Article 5.26, Part 4 of the Russian Administrative Code. The law, which strictly limits who may conduct religious activities and where, has been systematically used to criminalize worship services held by churches that do not submit to state registration. In March 2026, a similar case occurred when Pastor Vladimir Rytikov was expelled from a region of Ukraine occupied by Russian forces for pastoring a Baptist church that was also unregistered.
These cases are not isolated. Evangelical Focus documented more than 34 proceedings for "illegal missionary activity" in Russia in the first four months of 2025 alone. Pressure has increased as the Russian government has tightened controls on minority religious groups, especially those that maintain ties with Western organizations or refuse to join the state-sanctioned religious structure. For these Christians, refusing to register is a matter of biblical principle: the authority of the church comes from Christ, not the state.
How to pray: Intercede for Ivan, Mikhail, Anton and Farhat, and for the Baptist community in Kazan, which lives under constant threat of criminal proceedings. Pray for courage and faithfulness among Russian Christians who refuse to submit their faith to state control. Ask God to protect Pastor Vladimir Rytikov and other leaders in the occupied regions of Ukraine. Cry out for genuine religious freedom in Russia and for the gospel to continue advancing despite repression.
