In the Zhytomyr region, a court sentenced a pastor for refusing to report for military service

The Berdychiv City and District Court in Zhytomyr Oblast handed down a guilty verdict to a 49-year-old pastor of a religious organization who had evaded conscription into military service. The defendant was sentenced to three years of imprisonment, suspended for two years.

The man, a resident of Berdychiv, received his draft notice in December 2025. Despite a military medical commission’s conclusion that he was fit for service in rear units, the pastor refused to report for duty. The defendant justified his position on the basis of his religious beliefs, stating that his faith forbids him from taking up arms, taking the military oath, or serving in the army. During the trial, the man pleaded not guilty and insisted on his innocence.

The court rejected the defense’s arguments regarding the possibility of performing alternative service. The court’s ruling emphasizes that the law provides for the substitution of mobilization with alternative service exclusively in the context of conscription for active duty. Under the current martial law, such a procedure is not provided for; therefore, refusal to be mobilized on religious grounds was classified as a violation of the law.