TRC staff subjected the archimandrite of the Volyn-Vladimir Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church to coercion

On August 17, 2026, in the village of Khvorostov in the Volyn Oblast, Archimandrite Anthony (Dzhezhela), the rector of the Church of the Exaltation of the Cross, was detained and forcibly mobilized. The Volodymyr-Volyn Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church confirmed the incident and called on the faithful to offer their prayers in support of the clergyman.

According to the Volodymyr-Volyn Diocese of the UOC, Archimandrite Anthony is known among parishioners and fellow clergy as a zealous pastor who is deeply respected by his community. Representatives of the clergy expressed concern over the situation and appealed to Orthodox Christians to intensify their prayers for Father Anthony’s speedy return to pastoral ministry.

As a reminder, on August 16, 2026, in Kyiv, Metropolitan Sergiy (Anitsoi) of Tulchin and Bratslav, a hierarch of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, was detained by employees 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.