In Khmelnytskyi, TRC officers detained the rector of a Ukrainian Orthodox Church parish

In Khmelnytskyi, officers from the Territorial Recruitment Center (TRC) detained Archpriest Andriy Osika, a clergyman of the Khmelnytskyi Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The incident occurred on the morning of October 7, 2026.

According to a statement from the press office of the Khmelnytskyi Diocese of the UOC, the rector of the parish dedicated to St. John the Theologian, the Apostle and Evangelist, in the village of Cherepovka was detained around 6:00 a.m. Representatives of the diocese claim that, after undergoing a military medical examination, the priest is being unlawfully detained at the regional military commissariat’s assembly point, located at 3 Ozernaya Street.

An official statement from the diocese emphasizes that military service, which entails participation in combat operations and the shedding of blood, is incompatible with the priesthood according to the canonical rules of the Orthodox Church. In particular, citing the 83rd canon of the Holy Apostles and the canons of other Ecumenical Councils, the diocese called on state authorities to thoroughly investigate the circumstances of the detention and ensure respect for the constitutional right to freedom of conscience.

As a reminder, we previously reported that an incident occurred in the city of Zolotonosha, Cherkasy Oblast, involving the detention of a representative of the clergy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Archpriest Andriy Kononenko, who, despite having legal grounds for deferment, was forcibly taken to the regional conscription center.