TRC abducts priest of UOC’s Rivne Eparchy
The rector of the parish in Stavriv was mobilized due to the absence of a deferment.
In Volyn region, TRC officers drafted Archpriest Vitaliy Tsypkailo, a cleric of the Rivne Eparchy of the UOC, for military service. The incident took place on July 2, 2026, during mobilization measures, the Rivne Eparchy reported on Facebook.
Fr. Vitaliy serves as rector of St. Michael’s Church in the village of Stavriv, Rivne Eparchy. According to available information, the priest did not have an officially registered deferment from conscription.
The rector of the Stavriv parish was born on January 9, 1983. In 2007, he graduated from Volyn Theological Seminary. He began his priestly ministry in 2005 and has headed St. Michael’s Church in Stavriv since November 2009. The faithful are asked to pray fervently for Archpriest Vitaliy.
As the UOJ reported, a cleric of the Rivne Eparchy was sent to a military unit after mobilization.
