UOC priest detained by Military Recruitment Office in Rivne

Abducted priest Oleksandr Zhuk. Photo: Rivne Eparchy Press Service

On the evening of June 11, 2025, representatives of the Sarny Territorial Recruitment Center (TRC) detained a priest of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Archpriest Oleksandr Zhuk, in Rivne. He is the rector of the Church of the Holy Great Martyr Paraskeva in the village of Viliia. This was reported by the press service of the Rivne Eparchy of the UOC.

According to the eparchy, the clergyman was immediately taken to a military medical commission, where he underwent a medical examination overnight. At present, Father Oleksandr has been sent to a military unit.

The eparchy notes that this is not an isolated incident. According to their information, the State Service for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience (DESS) is pursuing a discriminatory policy against UOC clergy, issuing orders specifically targeting priests of this confession for mobilization. Representatives of other Christian and non-Christian denominations, they say, are granted deferments.

“These events are deeply concerning, as they may indicate religious discrimination and denominational bias, which directly contradict the Constitution of Ukraine and the principles of freedom of religion,” the eparchy’s statement reads.

The press service calls for prayers for Father Oleksandr and for all priests who are under pressure.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that in Kremenets, the TRC detained the rector of the Holy Spirit Skete of Pochaiv.

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