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Boris Kostenko, a former director of Russia’s Orthodox Christian Spas TV channel, said at a Moscow forum that a photograph of slain Espanola fighter Vadim Kazak had developed droplets he described as myrrh. Agentstvo reported his claim; the source material does not independently verify the alleged phenomenon.
Boris Kostenko, a former director of Russia’s Orthodox Christian television channel Spas TV, said at a Moscow forum that a photograph of a slain fighter from the Espanola battalion had developed tiny droplets he called myrrh. The claim, reported by the independent Russian outlet Agentstvo, concerns Vadim Kazak, who was killed in the war with Ukraine in September 2024; the alleged droplets have not been independently verified in the material available.
Kostenko made the statement at the “Religion and Peace” forum in Moscow. He said he had received a photograph of a fighter identified by the call sign “Kazak” and that the image had been placed in the battalion’s Moscow office. According to Kostenko, the photo then became covered in small droplets of myrrh, an oil associated with Orthodox Christian religious tradition.
Kostenko described the fighter’s death as an act of sacrifice, saying he had drawn a drone away from fellow soldiers. He also said the fighter left behind a wife and child. Agentstvo reported that Vadim Kazak died in September 2024 near Chasiv Yar; the source material does not provide independent confirmation of Kostenko’s account of the circumstances of his death or of the reported condition of the photograph.
Kostenko now advises the state secretary of the Union State of Russia and Belarus, according to the report. His remarks were made at an event focused on religion and peace, rather than in a published church ruling or an announced investigation into the photograph. No evidence establishing the alleged droplets as myrrh is presented in the source material.
A War Death Given Religious Meaning
The claim links a fighter’s death in the Ukraine war with a religious sign, giving the story significance beyond the condition of one photograph. Kostenko presented the alleged droplets as myrrh and framed Kazak’s death as a heroic act. Those statements are Kostenko’s account; they do not establish that a miracle occurred or that the photograph was examined by independent specialists.
The setting also matters. Kostenko spoke at a forum organized by the Christian World Union for Promoting the Preservation of Traditional Values, with support from Russian government bodies and the Moscow government. His remarks bring together religious symbolism, state-supported public discussion, and the wartime portrayal of a fallen fighter. The available reporting does not show that organizers or religious authorities endorsed his claim.
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Espanola and Its Wartime Role
Espanola was formed largely from football fans. Some of its fighters openly hold neo-Nazi views, according to the source material. The outlet Cherta has reported that the group has ties to former presidential aide Vladislav Surkov and to the United Russia party. These details provide relevant context about the battalion, but do not verify Kostenko’s statement about the photograph.
In October 2025, Espanola leader Stanislav Orlov announced that the battalion would be disbanded. Orlov was killed in occupied Sevastopol in December, according to the source. Espanola said his farewell ceremony took place at Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Savior. Agentstvo reported that he was the first participant in Russia’s war with Ukraine to have a farewell ceremony at the Russian Orthodox Church’s main cathedral.
The “Religion and Peace” forum has been held since 2013. It is organized by the Christian World Union with support from the Presidential Directorate for Domestic Policy, the Higher Education and Science Ministry, and the Moscow government. That institutional backing explains the forum’s public profile, but it does not amount to official confirmation of claims made by a speaker.
““The photo began weeping myrrh: it became covered in tiny droplets of myrrh.””
— Boris Kostenko, speaking at the “Religion and Peace” forum
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The Photograph Has Not Been Verified
The available reporting does not establish whether the photograph developed droplets, what the droplets were, or whether the image was examined by independent experts. No photograph, laboratory findings, or assessment from an Orthodox Church authority is included in the source material. Kostenko’s use of the term myrrh is his description, not a verified finding.
Agentstvo reported the remarks and Kazak’s death near Chasiv Yar in September 2024. The source material does not give further details about the fighter’s identity, the battalion office where the image was displayed, or who else saw the photograph. It also does not include a response from Espanola, the forum organizers, or church officials.
Orthodox Christian incense and censer
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Whether Evidence or Responses Emerge
The next relevant developments would be publication or independent examination of the photograph, along with any response from Espanola, the forum’s organizers, or Russian Orthodox authorities. The source material does not indicate that an inquiry is underway or that further documentation has been released. Until evidence or additional attributable reporting becomes available, the alleged myrrh should be treated as Kostenko’s unverified claim.
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Key Questions
Who made the claim about the photograph?
Boris Kostenko, a former director of the Orthodox Christian channel Spas TV who now advises the state secretary of the Union State of Russia and Belarus, made the claim at a Moscow forum.
Whose photograph was it?
Kostenko identified the fighter by the call sign “Kazak.” Agentstvo reported that he was Vadim Kazak, a member of the Espanola battalion who died near Chasiv Yar in September 2024.
Has the photograph been independently confirmed to have wept myrrh?
No independent verification is provided in the source material. Kostenko said the image developed droplets he called myrrh, but the nature and origin of the droplets remain unconfirmed.
What is Espanola?
Espanola is a battalion formed largely from football fans. The source material says some members openly hold neo-Nazi views and cites Cherta’s reporting on alleged ties to Vladislav Surkov and United Russia.
What is the “Religion and Peace” forum?
It is a Moscow forum held since 2013 and organized by the Christian World Union for Promoting the Preservation of Traditional Values, with support from Russian government bodies and the Moscow government.
Source: rss
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