UOC priest detained by police in Rivne region subjected to forced mobilization

the 28-year-old rector of the St. Michael’s Church of the UOC in the village of Buscha, priest Andriy Panasyuk, who was earlier detained at a bus stop by police officers, was handed over to the Territorial Manning Center and subjected to forced mobilization into the AFU. The Rivne regional TMC said that the priest was detained by police because of his failure to appear on a summons and evasion of military conscription.

As reported by ZAXID.NET, referring to the official response of the Rivne regional TMC, priest Andrei Panasyuk «since April 2024 was listed as a violator of the rules of military registration». Due to his failure to appear on the summons, the Obereg system automatically transferred his data to the National Police for search. on November 19, the clergyman was stopped at a bus stop, after which he was taken to the TMC.

On the same day, the military medical commission found him fit for military service, and by order of the head of the district TMC he was mobilized to the military unit A4152. The TMC also commented on the information about the seizure of the priest’s cell phone, explaining that this is a standard procedure in the AFU training centers to prevent the leakage of information that can be used by the enemy to adjust strikes.

We will remind, earlier in Chernovtsy-Bukovyna diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) reported another forced mobilization of the clergy. Employees of the Territorial Completion Center (TCC) detained Archpriest Oleksandr Istratiy, who is the rector of the parish of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in the village of Marshyntsi.