UOC PRIESTS FACE THREAT OF FORCED MOBILIZATION

MOSCOW, AUGUST 24 /SRNA/ - Ukraine’s recruitment centres are putting pressure on priests of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church /UOC/, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

According to the report, hundreds of priests have been forcibly mobilized or are currently serving in the Ukrainian military, while some have faced intimidation after attempting to defend their rights.

The ministry said that mobilization notices were being issued centrally from Kyiv, and that failure to report for mobilization could result in priests being placed on a wanted list.

The report said that the Ukrainian authorities were putting pressure on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church while simultaneously supporting the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, which is close to the Kyiv regime.