Clergyman of the Rivne Diocese of the UOC Released After Being Detained by Territorial Recruitment Center

On June 11, 2025, in the city of Rivne, representatives of the Sarny Territorial Recruitment Center detained Archpriest Oleksandr Zhuk of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, rector of the Church of the Holy Great Martyr Paraskeva in the village of Vilia. The clergyman was taken to the Military Medical Commission, where he underwent a medical examination. Following that, Father Oleksandr was temporarily sent to a military unit, according to a statement from the press service of the Rivne Diocese of the UOC.

However, on June 12, it was reported that the priest had been released and allowed to return home due to the absence of grounds for mobilization. According to the diocese, this is not an isolated case. Representatives claim that the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience applies a discriminatory approach specifically toward clergy of the UOC, while representatives of other Christian and non-Christian groups receive deferrals through the reservation procedure.

The leadership of the Rivne Diocese expressed concern over the situation and emphasized the need for equal and fair treatment of all religious organizations within the framework of the mobilization campaign.

It is also worth noting that on June 11, 2025, in Kremenets, Ternopil Region, employees of the Territorial Recruitment Center detained the abbot of the Pochaiv St. Spirit Monastery-Skete, Archimandrite Pafnutiy. According to eyewitnesses, the incident occurred immediately after the conclusion of a court hearing related to the monastery.