Earlier, the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience (DESS) published a list of legal entities – religious organizations that are critical for the functioning of the economy and ensuring the livelihood of the population in a special period. These are the institutions whose leaders and employees will be exempt from mobilization into the Armed Forces of Ukraine for the duration of martial law. It is noteworthy that the list completely excludes religious communities of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which automatically puts the clergy of the UOC, who have no official grounds for deferring military service, at risk of forced mobilization.
The Prime Minister of Ukraine discussed the mobilization of religious leaders with the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations
On June 11, 2025, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal held a working meeting with representatives of the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations (AUCCRO). During the event, the issue of granting deferrals from mobilization into the Armed Forces of Ukraine for representatives of religious organizations in the country was discussed. This was reported by the Cabinet of Ministers website.
«I have instructed the State Service for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience to expedite the relevant procedures. We still have many common challenges and a huge amount of work ahead of us. I am confident that together we will demonstrate effective unity of effort for the victory of Ukraine, for the restoration of the state, and for a happy future for coming generations,» — the prime minister said.
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