Syrskyi orders intensified recruitment of AFU chaplains
The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has expressed concern over the insufficient number of chaplains.
On October 17, 2025, Commander-in-Chief of the AFU Oleksandr Syrskyi met with representatives of chaplains from the OCU, the UGCC, Muslim, and Protestant communities, Syrskyi reported on Facebook.
He discussed issues related to the staffing of the chaplain service.
“I instructed to strengthen cooperation with religious organizations to select worthy candidates for these positions,” Syrskyi stated. According to him, chaplains “not only sustain the spiritual strength of the soldiers but also demonstrate a unique example of interfaith unity and mutual understanding.”
Earlier, the UOJ wrote that, according to the head of the AFU Chaplain Service, the chaplain corps in the army is only 45% staffed.
Recall that priests of the UOC are not accepted into the army as chaplains due to a legislative ban.
