Earlier, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approved amendments to the “Regulations on the procedure for issuing a mandate for the right to carry out military chaplaincy activities” in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. According to the new amendments, the priests of the UOC are permanently prohibited from carrying out chaplaincy activities in the military units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Vladimir Zelensky signed a law banning discrimination in the Armed Forces
on March 16, 2026, Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed Law No. 13037 aimed at countering discrimination within the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The document amends the Disciplinary Statute and the Internal Service Statute, establishing a strict ban on any form of harassment based on gender, religious or other beliefs, as well as sexual harassment.
According to the Information and Education Department of the UOC, the new law obliges commanders to immediately respond to facts of discrimination, initiate official investigations and provide protection to those who reported violations. Earlier, on February 25, 2026, the Verkhovna Rada passed the bill unanimously — all 276 deputies present voted for it.
Despite the official prohibition of discrimination on religious grounds, the realization of the right to spiritual care remains in question. The material notes that the priests of the UOC are actually deprived of the opportunity to engage in chaplaincy ministry in the ranks of the AFU. As a result, a significant number of servicemen who are parishioners of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church do not have full access to spiritual care. At the moment, the issue of ensuring equal rights to spiritual support for believing soldiers remains open.
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