Rada bans religious discrimination in Armed Forces of Ukraine

Combat operations at the front. Photo: open sources

On March 16, 2026, Volodymyr Zelensky signed Law No. 13037, introducing amendments to the Disciplinary Statute of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the Internal Service Statute. Under the new law, service members are prohibited from engaging in discrimination based on sex, religious or other beliefs, as well as sexual harassment.

The law requires commanders to respond immediately to incidents of discrimination, initiate internal investigations, and protect those who report violations. Such individuals may not be dismissed or subjected to any other adverse measures. Among those authorized to trigger an investigation are gender advisers.

The Verkhovna Rada passed the bill unanimously on February 25, 2026, with all 276 lawmakers present voting in favor.

Notably, the document explicitly bans discrimination against service members on the basis of religious beliefs. At the same time, clergy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church are effectively deprived of the ability to serve as chaplains in the Armed Forces, despite the fact that a significant number of troops belong to the UOC.

Moreover, in August 2024, Zelensky signed a law aimed at banning the activities of the UOC.

Thus, on the one hand, the authorities are signing legislation that prohibits religious discrimination in the military, while on the other they continue to pursue a policy that, in the view of UOC faithful and a number of international human rights organizations, amounts precisely to religious discrimination. UOC service members still do not have full access to pastoral care from priests of their own Church – they cannot confess, receive Communion, or take part in services on the front line.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that the Primate of the UOC had blessed the serving of prayer services for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

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