TRC officers detained a metropolitan of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Kyiv and confiscated his Ukrainian passport

On August 16, 2026, in Kyiv, Metropolitan Sergiy (Anitsoy) of Tulchin and Bratslav, a hierarch of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, was detained by officers of the regional recruitment center. The bishop, along with the priest accompanying him, was taken to the military registration and enlistment office to undergo a military medical examination. The metropolitan was later released, but his Ukrainian passport was confiscated.

According to a statement published on by Archpriest Nikita Chekman, a lawyer for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, representatives of the Darnytskyi District Military Registration and Enlistment Office in Kyiv detained Metropolitan Sergiy on Sunday morning. The hierarch and a clergyman of the diocese, Archpriest Anatoly Vishnevoy, were sent to the military registration and enlistment office, where they were required to undergo a military medical examination to determine their fitness for military service.

In addition, officials at the office confiscated the Metropolitan’s Ukrainian passport without providing a seizure report, a receipt, or any legal justification for their actions.

Nevertheless, after two-thirds of a day, Metropolitan Sergiy was released, though his Ukrainian passport was never returned to him. The situation is further complicated by the fact that in 2022, by order of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Metropolitan Sergiy (Anitsoy) was stripped of his Ukrainian citizenship, which creates additional risks regarding the bishop’s civil status.

At the same time, representatives of the military registration and enlistment office are attempting to draft Archpriest Anatoly Vishnevoy, a clergyman of the Tulchin Diocese. According to human rights activists, the clergyman was not on any wanted list and had not violated military registration regulations. Currently, lawyers are taking all necessary legal measures to challenge the actions of the TRC staff and defend the rights of the clergy. The legal team of the Kyiv Metropolis of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church classifies the incident as an unlawful detention and a violation of the procedure for seizing documents, and official complaints are being prepared accordingly.

As a reminder, on September 2, 2025, in the Rivne region, TRC officers subjected Bishop Seraphim (Kadubiansky) of Novovorontsov, a hierarch of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, to forced mobilization. Along with the bishop, his assistant—Hieromonk Gabriel (Kinashchuk)—was also detained.