Deacon of cathedral detained by military recruitment office in Sarny

Deacon Maksym Huzenko. Photo: UOJ

On June 14, 2025, officers from the Territorial Recruitment Center (TRC) detained Deacon Maksym Huzenko, a cleric of the Protection Cathedral in the Sarny Eparchy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), according to sources in the eparchy who spoke with the UOJ.

Fr. Maksym has now been held at the recruitment center for two days, and there has been no contact with him. Clergy and parishioners of the cathedral are requesting prayers for the deacon’s safe return to his family and parish.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that in Kremenets, the TRC also detained Archimandrite Paphnutiy, abbot of the Pochaiv Holy Spirit Skete. He was sent to a military unit in Rivne Oblast.

Read also

In Spain, murderer moved to women's prison after claiming to be female

A Spaniard convicted of a series of brutal murders has secured a transfer to a women's prison allegedly based on a change of gender identity.

Georgian Patriarchate warns about fake social media pages

The Georgian Orthodox Church has stated that unknown individuals are using official symbols to create fake social media pages.

Court extends round-the-clock house arrest for Metropolitan Arseniy

The Chechelivsky Court of Dnipro left the abbot of the Sviatohirsk Lavra under house arrest and allowed him to attend medical procedures without separate permission.

OCU shows number of parishioners in seized church of Bezuhlivka

About 15 people with flags stood at the first "service" at St. Michael's Church after the seizure.

In Kyiv, OCU and UGCC сhaplains given an introductory tour of synagogue

Ukraine’s chief rabbi said that clergy of the OCU, UGCC, and RCC familiarized themselves with Jewish tradition at a synagogue.

OCU outraged that Lepliavo parish removed church property before seizure

The Cherkasy Eparchy of the OCU complained that after the fake “transfer” in Lepliavo, UOC faithful left them nothing but bare walls.