Protestant soldier fined for refusing military oath
A district court in the Vinnytsia region fined a mobilized evangelical Christian who refused to take the military oath on religious grounds.
The Chechelnyk District Court fined a mobilized Protestant serviceman who refused to take the military oath because of his religious convictions, reports the Legal Newspaper. According to the court, on September 11, 2026, the soldier refused to comply with a lawful order of the military unit commander.
The order in question was "On Taking the Military Oath by Servicemen Called Up by Mobilization." The man stated that he belongs to the Church of Evangelical Christian Faith, whose members are forbidden to bear arms. In addition, he called his mobilization unlawful and reported health problems.
According to the serviceman, he did not receive a call-up notice; he was detained on the street and held at the TRC (territorial recruitment center) for two days. He also said that he repeatedly asked to be sent to a military medical commission. According to him, before mobilization he did volunteer work and helped the military.
The court noted that Article 35 of the Constitution guarantees freedom of religion but does not allow individuals to refuse their obligations to the state on religious grounds. According to the court, alternative civilian service is provided for by law only as a substitute for compulsory military service. The law does not provide for alternative civilian service in cases of mobilization.
The court rejected the arguments that the mobilization was unlawful, as the man had provided no evidence that he had challenged the TRC's actions. His references to health issues also failed to convince the court: it does not assess fitness for military service, and the serviceman had no medical commission certificate issued prior to his mobilization.
The court found the man guilty under Part 1 of Article 172-10 of the Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offenses. He was fined 1,700 hryvnias and ordered to pay a court fee of 665.60 hryvnias.
As the UOJ reported, a man was convicted in the Khmelnytskyi region for refusing mobilization on religious grounds.
