TRC forcibly detained the abbot of the Pochaiv Monastery

In Kremenets, Ternopil region, on June 11, 2025, employees of the Territorial Recruitment Center detained the abbot of the Pochaiv Holy Spirit Monastery-Skete, Archimandrite Paphnutius. According to eyewitnesses, the incident occurred immediately after the conclusion of a court hearing regarding a case related to the monastery, as reported by UOJ.

Following his arrest, the clergyman was taken to the Ternopil TRC. It is known that Archimandrite Paphnutius has served as the abbot of the Holy Spirit Skete for more than 28 years.

Additionally, the command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ Ground Troops commented on reports concerning the deferral of mobilization for representatives of Ukraine’s religious organizations. The military stated that while it respects the right of clergy to a mobilization deferral, such exemptions must be granted strictly within the framework of prior directives issued by the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience.