TRC officers abduct archimandrite of UOC St. John the Baptist Monastery

Archimandrite Galaktion (Redea). Photo: Khmelnytskyi Eparchy

On May 24, 2026, representatives of the Territorial Military Recruitment Center, together with local officials and police, arrived at the UOC St. John the Baptist Monastery in the village of Velyka Kalynivka, Khmelnytskyi region, and took away Archimandrite Galaktion (Redea). This was reported by the press service of the Khmelnytskyi Eparchy.

According to the eparchy, after the Divine Liturgy ended, three TRC officers, the head of the Oleshyn territorial community Valentyna Bazyliuk, and police officer Vitaliy Shliakhov of the Khmelnytskyi territorial community entered the monastery grounds.

The eparchy writes that Archimandrite Galaktion “was taken directly from his monastic cell and driven away in an unknown direction.”

According to preliminary information, the clergyman is currently based in one of the military units in the city of Chortkiv, Ternopil region. There is no contact with him.

The Khmelnytskyi Eparchy called on clergy and believers to pray for Archimandrite Galaktion and asked “people of goodwill to help secure the release and return of the monk and clergyman to his native monastic abode.”

The statement emphasizes that Archimandrite Galaktion “has for many decades carried out the obedience of prayer for Ukraine and its people.”

As the UOJ reported, a priest of the Pokrovsk Vicariate of the UOC was killed in Kostiantynivka.

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