10/09/2026

Simon also explains how his PBS reporting reached Republican members of Congress during the 2024 debate over military assistance to Ukraine, and why he believes that reporting helped change the conversation.

If you know someone who believes Russia is a model of traditional Christian values, I encourage you to share this interview.

• 00:00 Putin Claims to Defend Christianity—But What’s Happening?
• 01:23 The Churches Russian Troops Are Shutting Down
• 02:45 Russia’s Return to Soviet-Era Persecution
• 03:24 Melitopol: 15 Churches, Only One Remains
• 05:41 Russian Militants Kidnap and Beat a PBS Journalist
• 06:53 Four Pentecostal Christians Found in a Mass Grave
• 08:14 Why Russia Targets Evangelicals and Baptists
• 11:58 Christians Forced to Hold Secret Bible Studies
• 13:30 How Simon’s Reporting Reached Congress
• 16:16 What American Evangelicals Need to Hear
• 18:48 The Truth Behind Putin’s Christian Image
• 20:31 The Surveillance Footage Behind the Investigation

https://www.youtube.com/@Professor-Gerdes