Solar-Powered Sermon Kindles from US Evangelical Church Found on Captured Ukrainian Soldiers

While clearing out the rubble of the recently captured Donetsk airport in Eastern Ukraine, separatist militia members discovered solar-powered Christian sermon players, reportedly from an Atlanta-based Baptist church, in the pockets of some of the dead and captured Ukrainian soldiers.

It’s not clear who gave the devices to Ukrainian soldiers, but the sermons are attributed to Pastor Charles Stanley, founder of In Touch Ministries, a Baptist group based in Georgia that broadcasts sermons on TV and radio stations around the world. On the recordings, translated to Russian, Stanley tells the Ukrainian soldiers not to be afraid and to have faith in God.

“Hello my name is Charles Stanley, you are listening to a gift from ‘In Touch Ministries’ on a solar-powered audio player,” said Stanley. “I hope the themes will be of encouragement and support to you, I hope that they will help you in your spiritual growth and knowledge of Jesus Christ. May the truth of God’s word fill your heart.”

On Twitter, In Touch Ministries commented on the revelations that their sermons were being listened to by Ukrainian soldiers.

At least a dozen Ukrainian soldiers were captured Thursday after the Ukrainian Army retreated from the airport after days of intense fighting.

A commander of the Novorossiya Armed Forces (NAF), the pro-Russian separatist militia that captured the airport, played the recording for the Russian news service LifeNews.

“It just like hypnotizes them, such teachings, you start to believe that you can die and then everything will be great and they’ll welcome you with open arms. They’re simply zombifying them,” he said.

Check out the video below.