In Volyn, TCC employees kidnapped a UOC priest with many children who had the official right to defer military service

on October 16, 2025 in Kovel, employees of the Lutsk territorial center for recruitment abducted Archpriest Vitaliy Popko, the clergyman of the local church in honor of the Pochaev Icon of the Mother of God. The clergyman was detained at his home despite the fact that he has an official deferment from mobilization, and four children, two of which are adopted. About it reports a press-service of Vladimir-Volyn eparchy of the UOC.

«Lutsk TRC detained Archpriest Vitaly Popko Clergyman of Kovel church of the Pochaev icon of the Mother of God Archpriest Vitaly Popko today, October 16, near his own house was detained by an outfit of Lutsk TRC. Father Vitaly has four dependent minor children — two of his own and two adopted orphans. All properly executed documents, giving grounds for deferral of mobilization, did not convince the workers of the military commissariat — Father Vitaly is currently held in the distribution center and are preparing to be sent to the firing range», — report in the diocese.

We will remind, on September 2, 2025 in Rivne region employees of the TRC subjected to forced mobilization of the hierarch of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church bishop of Novovorontsovsk Seraphim (Kadubiansky). Together with the bishop, they detained his assistant, Hieromonk Gabriel (Kinashchuk).