Ukrainian Orthodox Priest Detained, Transferred to Military Unit as Wife Alleges Coercion

Fr. Vyacheslav Kalinichenko. Photo: Izium Eparchy

KHARKIV, UKRAINE — A Ukrainian Orthodox Church priest was detained this month by Territorial Recruitment Center officials and later transferred to a military training unit, according to his wife.

Fr. Vyacheslav Kalinichenko, 54, rector of Holy Michael Church in the village of Petrivka in the Izium Eparchy, was stopped at a checkpoint in Chuhuiv on January 8 and taken to the regional Territorial Recruitment Center, where he was held for more than 72 hours, his wife told UOJ-Ukraine. “Calling the police did not resolve the situation,” she said.

On January 13, the priest asked her to block his SIM card after officials attempted to access his phone. While she waited for police, he was transferred to Kharkiv. “They later brought out his belongings in a bag. The priest saw me, asked permission to talk, but he was not allowed,” she recounted.

At 2 a.m. on January 14, Fr. Vyacheslav reported he was being taken to Dnipro. His wife alleges he was threatened with criminal charges. “The priest did nothing of the sort. This was pressure on him,” she said. “Laws were violated and will continue to be violated.”

Complaints have been filed with Ukrainian authorities, while parishioners have appealed for his release.

Previously, the UOJ reported that UOC parishioners demanded answers regarding their parish priest's forced mobilization. 

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