UOC priest of Odesa Eparchy released from TRC
Archpriest Oleksandr Moskovchuk. Photo: a video screenshot of the Odesa Eparchy
On June 15, 2025, Archpriest Oleksandr Moskovchuk, rector of the Holy Trinity Church of the UOC in the village of Troyandove, was released from the Territorial Recruitment Center (TRC) in the Odesa Region, where he had been detained since June 10. The press service published a video message from the priest.
Father Oleksandr thanked all the clergy and parishioners for their prayers, and the lawyers for their professional assistance.
"I am happy to have returned to my native church and can continue to pray for peace in our country. My deepest gratitude to everyone," said Fr. Oleksandr Moskovchuk.
As the UOJ reported, the Odesa Eparchy stated that despite his age and poor health, the canonical prohibition on bearing arms, and the legal grounds preventing his mobilization, the clergyman had been pressured to sign a military service contract. He was being subjected to threats and psychological coercion, and transported between various TRC offices and military units across Odesa Region and Ukraine.
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