East Ukraine Rebels Trying To Start Orthodox State, Reporter Says

Russian-backed rebels in eastern Ukraine have emphasized their desire to start an 'Orthodox state' that unites all people of the Russian Orthodox faith, said journalist Sabra Ayres who has written for Al Jazeera America, the LA Times and the Christian Science Monitor.

This idea is essential to creating the strong Russian empire that President Vladimir Putin regularly references, said Ayres. However, it is difficult to say if the ideology is merely a political tool, or a firmly-held belief of the separatists.

Hromadske International's Ian Bateson and Angelina Kariakina spoke with Sabra Ayres on Sunday, March 22, 2015.