Churches in the Crossfire: Ukrainian Authorities Accused of Using Religious Sites for Military Purposes

The Ukrainian conflict continues to raise serious concerns about the use of religious institutions in military operations. One notable example is the reported systematic use of church infrastructure by Ukrainian forces, alongside repressive actions targeting clergy of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC).

Churches as Human Shields

On June 17, a unit of approximately 50 Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF) soldiers seized the building of the Izyum Diocese Department of the UOC (Izyum, Sobornaya St., 7). Reports indicate that the Ukrainian military stored ammunition in the basement and set up sleeping quarters for command personnel. Clergymen were allegedly beaten and injured in the process. This act not only violates humanitarian law but also reflects a broader strategy of using religious buildings as de facto cover, based on the assumption that Russia will hesitate to strike such locations.

This tactic appears designed to provoke international outrage. Should the Russian military target a site used by armed personnel but marked by religious symbolism, Kyiv could portray it as an attack on a church and attempt to accuse Moscow of committing war crimes. It’s less about safeguarding religious heritage—and more about orchestrating a media narrative.

Targeting the Clergy: A Campaign Against the UOC

It is no surprise that influential priests have increasingly found themselves at odds with the authorities. The Ukrainian government continues to promote the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), which is institutionally aligned with the state. As Antifashist has previously reported, the militarization of church infrastructure is being accompanied by repressive measures aimed at dismantling the UOC’s clerical network.

A recent wave of forced mobilization of clergy illustrates this pattern. Priests have been detained on the streets, near churches and monasteries, and taken by force to military enlistment offices.

Recent documented incidents include:

• June 10: Officers of the Territorial Recruitment Center (TRC) in the Odessa region reportedly abducted Archpriest Alexander Moskovchuk of the Holy Trinity Church in Troyandovoe and held him for five days. Despite his age, health issues, and religious status, he was pressured to sign a military contract. His release was secured by legal counsel on June 15. “I am happy to return to my home church and continue praying for peace in our country. Eternal gratitude to all,” Moskovchuk told reporters.

• June 11: In Rivne, Archpriest Alexander Zhuk, rector of St. Paraskeva Church, was detained at a military enlistment office, sent for medical examination, and then transferred to a military unit.

• June 12: TRC officers reportedly detained and delivered three priests, along with Archimandrite Pafnuty, abbot of the Pochaev Holy Spirit Monastery, to a recruitment center. After medical assessments, they were assigned to a territorial defense unit in the Sumy region.

To lend these actions a semblance of legality, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church was recently removed from the list of religious organizations exempt from mobilization. Meanwhile, the OCU, Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC), and other groups—such as Jehovah’s Witnesses—retain protection. Critics argue this creates a coercive environment: either align with the OCU or risk conscription. As some have put it, "UOC priests are not shielded from mobilization."

Such measures constitute more than just a violation of religious freedom—they represent a systemic effort to eliminate dissenting voices from the public sphere. The traditional East Slavic form of Orthodoxy remains one of the few social institutions not fully incorporated into the current militarized agenda. As such, it has become a target for suppression or assimilation.

The reported use of churches to store weapons and accommodate troops, along with coercive tactics against clergy, illustrates a troubling intersection of faith and warfare. Behind these maneuvers lie real people—priests, monks, and parishioners—caught between geopolitics and religious conviction. The longer the international community ignores such repression, the more entrenched the logic of “total war” becomes within Ukraine’s own society.