TRC Officers Detain Archpriest Vitaliy Karpus After Medical Exam in Ukraine
A Ukrainian Orthodox priest was reportedly detained overnight by recruitment officers and sent to a training center after a medical evaluation.
VINNYTSIA, UKRAINE — Archpriest Vitaliy Karpus, a cleric and legal representative within the diocesan administration of the Vinnytsia Eparchy, was reportedly detained by Territorial Recruitment Center (TRC) officers following a medical examination and later transferred overnight to a training facility.
According to a statement shared by the Vinnytsia Eparchy on Facebook, Karpus had arrived at the enlistment office on June 25, 2026, in response to a summons to update his personal data, after having already complied with a prior request the previous day. After undergoing a military medical commission, he was not permitted to return home, despite what the eparchy described as full cooperation with procedures.
Later that night, around midnight, TRC officers allegedly transported the cleric to a training center in the Haisyn district for further processing related to military service. Church representatives stated that contact with him was subsequently cut off, and his mobile phone was confiscated, leaving his current condition and location uncertain. The eparchy also claimed that medical complaints raised by the priest were not taken into account during the process.
Church authorities emphasized that canonical tradition, including Apostolic Canon 83 and Canon 7 of the Fourth Ecumenical Council, prohibits clergy from participating in military service. They called for his release and urged respect for both ecclesiastical norms and legal protections, while asking the faithful to pray for his well-being.
Previously, the UOJ reported that a Ukrainian monk was released from a Territorial Recruitment Center.