Overview
- President Vladimir Putin met Patriarch Kirill in the Kremlin’s Patriarchal chambers on his 79th birthday, offering personal congratulations and a bouquet of white roses.
- Putin praised Kirill for expending great energy in service to Russia and the Orthodox world, and the two shared a light exchange in which Putin asked to be treated to tea.
- At the World Russian People's Council a day earlier, Kirill said the Russian Orthodox Church will pursue legal recognition for priests serving in combat zones.
- Kirill argued clergy are needed with units before assaults to help troops under extreme stress and to support those returning wounded or in a difficult state.
- Public well‑wishes highlighted institutional support, with State Duma speaker Vyacheslav Volodin and former Moldovan president Igor Dodon issuing congratulatory messages.