The Patriarch of Russia's Orthodox Church has urged the army to proceed with its war against Chechen separatists to wipe out "terrorism" and ensure peaceful lives for ordinary people.
"I am convinced that we are dealing with international terrorism and we have to put an end to it. Otherwise, we will never live peacefully," Patriarch Alexiy II told reporters after a ceremony bestowing awards on top generals and politicians.
Acting President Vladimir Putin, who owes much of his high poll ratings to the Chechnya campaign ahead of a March presidential election, failed to attend as expected.
Religious medals or icons were presented to the Armed Forces Chief of Staff, Mr Anatoly Kvashnin, his deputy and to three former prime ministers at Moscow's vast, newly rebuilt Christ the Saviour Cathedral.
Patriarch Alexiy conducted prayers for the 93,000 servicemen fighting in Chechnya and the more than 1,200 who have already died. He dismissed suggestions in the West that the campaign had caused suffering among the region's civilians.
To suggest this, the patriarch said, was to forget apartment building bomb blasts that had killed nearly 300 people in Moscow and other Russian cities last autumn and waves of kidnappings attributed to lawless Chechen gangs. Russian authorities blame the bomb attacks on Chechen militants, who deny all involvement.
"It is often said we must think about civilians," he said in televised comments. "It was civilians who were killed in Moscow and Volgodonsk, who were taken hostage and ransoms demanded for them. And if no ransom was received, they were killed."
The Orthodox Church, whose priests were repressed or forced to co-operate with the Kremlin under communism, now plays a major role in post-Soviet affairs of state. The patriarch is an honoured guest at virtually all major public events and leading politicians ensure that they are seen taking part in major religious festivals.
Meanwhile, Russia said 70 rebels had laid down their arms in Grozny yesterday, signalling a breakthrough in its campaign to seize the Chechen capital, and it predicted more fighters would surrender soon.