TRC comments on mobilization of Pochaiv Skete abbot

Archimandrite Paphnutiy. Photo: Vadym Dobrovskyi’s Facebook page

Viktor Senenkyi, spokesperson for the communications group of the Ternopil Regional Territorial Recruitment Center (TRC), told Espreso.Zakhid that Archimandrite Paphnutiy, abbot of the Holy Spirit Skete of the Pochaiv Lavra – who was detained on June 11, 2025 – is considered “in violation of military registration rules.”

Senenkyi claims that during a document check, it was found that Fr. Paphnutiy had violated military registration requirements as of April 14, 2025, under Article 23 of the Law of Ukraine “On Military Duty and Military Service.”

According to him, the clergyman “had not exercised his right to deferment, was not officially reserved in accordance with the law, and thus is subject to mobilization under general conditions.”

The TRC official stated that current legislation does not provide absolute exemptions for any categories of persons from mobilization during martial law. He referred to a decision by the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience (DESS), which approved a list of critically important religious organizations whose clergy may be granted deferment. The decisive factor, he said, is whether the religious organization is included in this list.

As previously reported by the UOJ, DESS published a list of communities whose clergy are eligible for reservation. A total of 7,726 legal entities were included – but UOC communities were excluded.

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