Lviv region resident jailed for refusing military service on religious grounds

Illustrative image of a court hearing on a case of draft evasion. Photo: open sources

On February 17, 2026, a court in the Lviv region sentenced a 42-year-old man from Stryi to three years of imprisonment for evading mobilization. Sud.ua reported the ruling.

According to the prosecution, in 2024 the man underwent a military medical examination and was declared fit for service. He subsequently received a draft notice requiring him to report on a specified date for deployment to a military unit.

However, he failed to appear at the territorial recruitment center. The man explained his refusal by citing religious beliefs. Prosecutors emphasized that the case did not concern compulsory peacetime service, which can be replaced with alternative civilian service, but rather mobilization during wartime.

The court found the defendant guilty under Article 336 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (evasion of mobilization) and imposed a sentence of three years’ imprisonment. The verdict will enter into force after the expiration of the appeal period.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that a Lviv court denied a Protestant pastor the right to perform service without bearing arms.

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