Ukrainian Authorities Comment on Mobilization of UOC Abbot from Pochaiv Lavra

Archimandrite Paphnutiy. CREDIT: Vadym Dobrovskyi’s Facebook page

TERNOPIL, UA — A representative of Ukraine’s Ternopil Regional Territorial Recruitment Center (TRC) confirmed the mobilization of Archimandrite Paphnutiy, abbot of the renowned Pochaiv Lavra's Holy Spirit Skete of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC). The announcement, reported by Espreso.Zakhid, follows his detention earlier this week by TRC officers.

“During the document check, it was found that he had been violating military registration rules since April 14,” said TRC spokesperson Viktor Senenkyi. “He did not use the right to deferment, was not officially exempted under the law, and as a result, is subject to mobilization on general grounds.”

According to Senenkyi, Ukraine’s martial law does not grant blanket exemptions from military service, even to clergy. Legal grounds for deferment or exemption must be formally established.

The UOC—Ukraine's largest and oldest religious organization—was recently excluded from the government's list of organizations deemed "critical" to the maintenance of Ukrainian society. Much smaller religious organizations—including the state-supported "OCU"—are granted exceptions and allowed to serve as chaplains in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

UOJ previously reported that Archimandrite Paphnutiy had been press-ganged into service and later transferred from the enlistment office to a military unit in the Rivne region.

Read also