UOC priest detained by recruitment officers in Kyiv sent to training ground
UOC priest Maksym Kostiuchenko, who was detained on his way to a church service in Kyiv, has been sent to a military training ground in Chernihiv Region.
Fr. Maksym Kostiuchenko, a cleric of the Church of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist Mark, who was detained by TRC personnel in Kyiv on October 22, 2026, is being held at a military training ground, according to the Pershyi Kozatskyi Telegram channel.
The priest was traveling by taxi to a church service when the vehicle was stopped. Fr. Maksym was detained and taken to a TRC. During a military medical examination, he was declared “fit” for service despite serious blood pressure and cardiovascular problems.
He is currently being held at a military training facility in Chernihiv Region. According to the source, the priest was told that he could be sent to the front lines in a month.
As the UOJ previously reported, TRC personnel also detained the rector of a UOC church in the village of Kyrdany.

