UOC launches fundraiser for legal defense of mobilized priest
The Freedom of Conscience Foundation is seeking 45,000 hryvnias to provide legal assistance to UOC priest Fr. Maksym Kostiuchenko following his forced mobilization.
The Freedom of Conscience Charitable Foundation has launched a fundraising campaign to provide legal representation for Fr. Maksym Kostiuchenko, a priest at the Church of the Holy Martyr Valerius in Kyiv who was forcibly mobilized by Territorial Recruitment Center (TRC) personnel. The foundation aims to raise 45,000 hryvnias to cover the cost of qualified legal counsel.
On October 22, 2026, the priest was traveling by taxi to the Church of St. Mark the Apostle to conduct an akathist service. His vehicle was stopped at a checkpoint on Shukhevych Avenue, after which he was taken to a district TRC.
There, Fr. Maksym underwent what the foundation described as a perfunctory military medical examination. That same night, he was sent to a military training facility in the village of Honcharivske, Chernihiv region. The military medical commission declared him fit for service despite serious blood pressure and cardiovascular problems.
The priest's legal team plans to investigate the circumstances of his detention, determine whether proper mobilization procedures were followed, and prepare the necessary legal filings.
The fundraiser is being conducted under the foundation's Legal Protection of Freedom of Conscience and Clergy Rights program. Donations can be made through the foundation's designated account, with details available on its Telegram channel.
As the UOJ previously reported, UOC lawyers established the Freedom of Conscience Charitable Foundation to provide legal assistance to clergy and religious communities unable to afford attorneys.
