UOC priest held at a military enlistment center threatened with 10 years in prison for refusing military oath

A clergyman of the Kamianske Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Priest Rostyslav Kalynovskyi, has been unlawfully held at a military unit for over two weeks after being re-detained by representatives of the territorial recruitment center. Relatives report that the priest is being psychologically pressured to serve in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. This was reported by the Telegram channel “Pershyi Kozatskyi.”

Father Rostyslav was detained on June 19, 2025. Without any explanation, he was sent for a medical examination and then transferred to the Pyatykhatky recruitment center. The next day, he was moved between various military units, but none agreed to accept him. On June 22, he was temporarily released, but on June 24, under the pretext of document clarification, he was returned to the center.

Currently, Father Rostyslav is being forced to take the military oath. He is being threatened with up to 10 years of imprisonment for refusing.

During the entire period of detention, he was allowed only one brief phone call home. At this moment, there is no contact with the priest.

Earlier, it was also reported that the Ternopil Regional Territorial Recruitment Center of the Armed Forces of Ukraine explained the recent forced mobilization of two clergymen from the Ternopil Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church — Archpriests Ioann Koval and Heorhii Pryimak. According to the center, the clergymen were not exempted from mobilization, and their clerical status is not grounds for release from military duty.