Croixalist, before I turn in for the night, I'd just want to say that Russia is emerging from the bowls of atheistic socialism while we (the USA) are immersing into it. God help us that we can change this trend.
Russia has been persecuting the RCC in one form or another for years. This is old news. The "Orthodox" Church lovingly served the Tsar, served the Soviets, and currently serves the interests of a thoroughly secularized Russia. I'd like to know where and when they have ever done anything but seek to substitute the true Church with their own lying facsimiles. Just like Ambrose, they're full of words they know people want to hear but their scam is easily seen through by people willing to investigate.
The fact is Russia doesn't need to make a scene about the Catholic Church when less than .5% of Russians consider themselves Catholic and far less even attempt to be religious... and that's when they can even find priests to say Mass for them. They have been denying and revoking visas for Catholic missionary priests, usually of Polish origin, since the Yeltsin years.
Don't go to bed. Stay up and look into it!
The word should be "merging" rather than "emerging." Merging religious iconography with Russian nationalism, merging anti-gαy rhetoric with pro-gαy rhetoric, merging left and right. If you let yourself be taken in by either approach without fully vetting the information out there, you will be caught off balance. It's all about demoralization and destabilization.
Could it be the reason this sounds so familiar to us in the West is precisely because the USA has become an extension of Soviet power albeit on a openly "secretive" level. We have to become more immune to mere lip service and more than just passingly familiar with international conflicts and intrigue... especially in Russia. Very few trads I've spoken with are even aware of the amount of pro-Commie/anti-Catholic activities are done routinely and openly for all to see.