Yelensky explains whether UOC clergy will be exempt from military service

Yelensky discusses the exemption of UOC clergy with Kush. Photo: DESS's Facebook

During the press conference "Freedom of Conscience in Ukraine: Its Enemies and Defenders", Viktor Yelensky responded to a question from DESS expert Oleksandr Sahan regarding which denominations' clergy would be exempted from conscription.

According to Yelensky, to qualify for exemption, a religious organization must have been registered before December 26, 2024, when the Cabinet of Ministers’ resolution on exemptions came into effect. He further stated that one of the criteria for granting exemptions to clergy of certain denominations would be "the absence of affiliation with a religious organization banned in Ukraine. Evidently, another criterion will be the validity of the organization’s name."

It is worth noting that, according to the authorities, the UOC does not meet either of the last two criteria. Based on a DESS analysis of the statutes of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC), the government considers the UOC to be part of the Moscow Patriarchate. Additionally, on December 27, 2022, the Constitutional Court ruled in favor of the legality of forcibly renaming the UOC.

Previously, the UOJ reported that, according to MP Oleksandr Dubinsky, exemptions would only be granted to UOC clergy who transition to the OCU.

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