The Volodymyr-Volyn Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church reports that a protodeacon has been detained by TCC officers

The press office of the Volodymyr-Volyn Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church issued an official statement regarding the forcible detention of a clergyman from the diocese, Protodeacon Bohdan Rudnichko, by officers of the Territorial Recruitment Center (TRC). The incident occurred on July 7 around noon, when the clergyman was returning home after celebrating a divine service.

According to the diocese’s Facebook page, it has now been reported that the protodeacon was taken to a military training ground in Rivne. The diocese emphasizes that the detention was carried out with the use of force right outside the clergyman’s home, which, according to church representatives, constitutes a gross violation of procedural norms and citizens’ rights.

This incident is part of a systemic problem highlighted by the diocese. Church representatives presented a list of 14 clergy members who have been drafted into the Armed Forces of Ukraine, noting that most of them were detained in a similar manner—by force and without due process. In addition, the official statement mentions two priests who are missing and one deacon who was killed.

The Volodymyr-Volyn Diocese insists that such methods are unacceptable in a state governed by the rule of law, stating that the forcible detention of citizens in closed military units deprives them of the ability to effectively defend their legal rights. The diocese calls on the faithful to pray for Father Bohdan.

As a reminder, earlier, American politician Anna Paulina Luna sharply criticized the forced conscription of clergy from the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) into the armed forces. In her view, the practice of sending clergy to the front lines constitutes a violation of international law and human rights.