Bishop approached to evade mobilization – DETAILS
A bishop in Ukraine has been accused of helping people evade military mobilization.
TodayPress TV reports that between 2023 and 2025, Bishop Kirill, together with his accomplices, issued fake deacon and clergy identification documents to men of military conscription age.
According to the report, those individuals had no intention of engaging in religious activities. Since June 2023, the bishop issued a total of 291 deacon identification documents. The service initially cost $1,000 before later increasing to $2,000.
A court in Ukraine’s Ivano-Frankivsk region found the bishop guilty of “obstructing the lawful activities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.”
In March 2026, the bishop signed a plea agreement. His disability and the transfer of UAH 500,000 to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine were taken into account as mitigating circumstances.
Under the court’s ruling, the bishop was sentenced to a three-year probation period.
Kubra Musayeva
