All priests to the front: A new tactic to destroy the Church
The authorities have found a way to “defeat” the Church – by sending all priests to the front lines. What can be done to resist this, apart from fasting and prayer?
Recently, reports have been coming in with increasing frequency that UOC priests are being detained by staff of the Territorial Recruitment Centers (TRCs), swiftly processed, and sent to serve in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. While such incidents were once isolated, their numbers have grown significantly, and this trend shows no signs of stopping. All evidence suggests that the government believes it has finally found an effective means of pressuring the UOC clergy. Through this tactic, they hope to destroy the Church and force it to merge with the OCU.
Confidential sources within various government agencies have confirmed this assumption to UOJ. The clearest evidence is the absence of UOC priests from the official list of employees of religious organizations eligible for deferral, approved by an order of the State Service for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience.
Through this order, the authorities are sending a direct message to every priest: “Join the OCU, and all your problems will go away. You won’t be sent to the front – you’ll stay with your family or in your monastery, and life will continue as it was.”
In a way, this temptation is reminiscent of the Gospel passage: “Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, ‘All these I will give you, if you fall down and worship me.’ Then Jesus said to him, ‘Away from me, Satan! For it is written: Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only’” (Matt. 4:8–10).
For those who, following Christ’s example, refuse to yield to the temptation of solving their problems through a single act of betrayal against the Church, the first step is prayer to the Lord and trust in His mercy and gracious Providence: “Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you; He will never permit the righteous to be moved” (Ps. 55:22).
At the same time, there are some practical steps clergy can take to avoid the fate that today’s Ukrainian authorities have prepared for them.
Every priest must remember: his fate is the fate of the Church, of the Christian community he leads. The ancient and universal principle still holds: “Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered…” (Matt. 26:31).
Therefore, to keep the flock from scattering, every priest must do everything possible to remain with his parish. And the rest is in God’s hands.
In truth, such efforts should have been made many months ago, instead of relying on the assumption that the authorities wouldn’t dare conscript clergy. For example, those with two underage children might have had a third. Yes, children are a gift from God – not a loophole to avoid mobilization. But nevertheless…
In this article, we aim to speak frankly, just as things are, from a practical perspective. If any of this advice proves useful and helps someone remain with their flock, our goal will have been achieved.
Below, we offer several recommendations on how to legally avoid mobilization.
Method 1: Disability
Disability – regardless of the group – is grounds for a deferral from mobilization under Article 23 of the Law of Ukraine "On Mobilization Preparation and Mobilization." Clause 1 of this article states: "Persons not subject to conscription for military service during mobilization include those who have been officially recognized as persons with disabilities or are temporarily unfit for military service due to health conditions for a period of 6 to 12 months (as determined by a military medical commission, followed by a re-evaluation)."
In practice, however, individuals with third-group disabilities are currently being mobilized, despite this being unlawful. Many priests of conscription age suffer from health conditions that would qualify them for a disability status, yet for various reasons have not pursued the official recognition process. This is a major mistake.
One should not wait to be taken to the TRC (Territorial Recruitment Center). Nor should one rely on the hope that the medical board there will sort things out and declare them unfit. Disability status must be obtained *in advance*, and only then should one approach the TRC with the relevant documentation.
Yes, it is increasingly difficult to obtain disability status nowadays. Yes, the medical commission system is being reformed, and the process is extremely convoluted. But if there are medical indications for disability, the process must be pursued diligently.
Method 2: Providing сare for a person with a disability
Article 23 of the same law also includes a list of persons whose care may grant the caregiver a deferment from mobilization. These include:
* A wife with a disability of group I or II;
* A wife with a group III disability due to cancer, limb amputation, loss of hands or feet, loss of a paired organ, or if she suffers from a mental disorder or other serious conditions;
* A wife, child, father, mother, or parents-in-law (if they require constant care), even without a formal disability status, if they are medically certified as needing care;
* One parent or in-laws with a group I or II disability, provided there are no other legally responsible non-conscripts to provide care;
* Family members of the second (or, if absent, third) degree of kinship with a person who has a group I or II disability.
To qualify for deferment on these grounds, one must obtain and submit the following:
* Disability certificate or documents proving the person requires constant care;
* Documents confirming kinship;
* An official statement or certificate confirming that care is indeed being provided.
It is important to note that the law does not allow for a priest to claim deferment simply because he is caring for an elderly or sick parishioner – unless that person is a legally recognized relative. In such a case, the only legal way to qualify would be to have the person declared legally incapacitated and then be officially appointed as their guardian. However, this is a lengthy process and comes with serious legal obligations and restrictions for the guardian.
If a priest has a qualifying relative and can prove that no one else is legally or practically able to care for them, they should pursue a deferment on caregiving grounds.
Method 3: Adoption, guardianship, custodianship
If having a third child is not possible for any reason, one can adopt. Adoption is a long, burdensome, and emotionally taxing process. However, Article 23 of the Law "On Mobilization..." provides not only for adoption, but also for a range of other legal statuses that are easier to formalize and still qualify for deferral. These include: guardians, custodians, foster parents, and parent-educators. In some cases, the child involved does not have to be a third child –the deferral can apply even if they are the only child in the household.
A deferral is granted to individuals who have been legally appointed guardians or custodians of:
* A child with any disability under the age of 18;
* An adult child with a Group I or II disability;
* A child with severe perinatal damage to the nervous system, serious congenital defects, rare (orphan) diseases, cancer or hematologic cancer, cerebral palsy, severe mental disorders, type I diabetes (insulin-dependent), stage IV kidney disease, or a child who has suffered a serious injury, requires organ transplantation, or is in need of palliative care;
* A child who, prior to adoption, guardianship, or custodianship, was an orphan or deprived of parental care, under the age of 18.
Adopting, fostering, or becoming a guardian to a child with disabilities or an orphan is not only a legitimate way to receive a deferral from mobilization – it is also a deeply righteous and God-pleasing act. Sadly, Ukraine has many such children in need of care.
Method 4: Official job reservation (booking)
The first ground for deferment listed in Article 23 of the "Law on Mobilization" is job reservation. Reservations can be made by state institutions, local governments, and also certain enterprises and organizations.
For a UOC priest, getting a reservation through employment in, for example, a village council is unlikely. However, opportunities may exist through businesses.
Job reservation procedures are governed by the Cabinet of Ministers’ Resolution No. 76 of January 27, 2023, “Certain Issues Regarding the Implementation of the Law of Ukraine on Mobilization Preparation and Mobilization during the Mobilization Period and Wartime.” The latest amendments were made on May 30, 2025.
To gain the right to reserve employees, an enterprise, institution, or organization must be officially designated as critically important for meeting the needs of the Armed Forces or for maintaining the country's economy and essential services. An enterprise qualifies as “critically important” if it meets at least 3 out of the following 7 criteria:
1. Strategic importance for the economy or national security
2. Fulfillment of mobilization tasks
3. Production of goods or services related to critical infrastructure
4. Payment of taxes/fees totaling ≥ UAH 1.5 million in the previous year
5. Annual foreign exchange earnings ≥ UAH 32 million
6. Export volume ≥ 3% of sector-wide exports
7. Staff size ≥ 50 full-time employees
If an enterprise meets three of these criteria, it can submit a written application to its relevant ministry (e.g., Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Digital Transformation, Ministry of Agrarian Policy). That ministry then submits the data to the Ministry of Economy, which includes the enterprise in the national list of critical entities. The enterprise can then submit a list of employees to be reserved these must be approved by the General Staff of the Armed Forces and entered into the official reservation registry.
Generally, a critically important enterprise may reserve up to 50% of its employees, though some exceptions exist. The reserved employee must be officially on staff and receive a monthly salary of at least 2.5 times the minimum wage (currently UAH 20,000). Taxes must also be paid to the state – 18% personal income tax and 5% military levy, totaling UAH 4,600.
If a parish or monastery has parishioners in leadership roles or who own critically important enterprises, they can employ a priest and reserve him accordingly. A position can even be specially created for this purpose.
Of course, this requires proper tax payments. And if the enterprise has not yet been designated as critical, it is worth pursuing this status – even if that means adjusting certain metrics to meet the criteria.
Conclusion
The strategies described above are not step-by-step instructions, but rather a call to action. Each method involves many legal and bureaucratic nuances that cannot be fully detailed here – this is the domain of lawyers and other professionals.
Yes, many clergy will, objectively, be unable to use these options and will have to place their trust in God’s mercy. But a significant portion of the roughly 12,000 UOC clergymen could obtain a lawful deferral and remain with their flock. This would render the authorities’ calculation – that mobilizing priests will lead to the destruction of the Church – ultimately mistaken.
In the relationship between God and man, the principle of synergy always applies. God governs His Church, but we too must do the best we can to ensure the Church lives and grows stronger.
And let us reiterate: we are not encouraging deceit or fraud. But we do have every right to explore all avenues provided by Ukrainian law.
