Kiev’s mandatory military draft has fueled growing resentment among the population
A Ukrainian priest has been accused of accepting a $10,000 bribe to fake the ordination of a man seeking to avoid military conscription, prosecutors said on Monday.
Military authorities in western Ukraine charged the priest with illegal profiteering and extortion over the alleged scheme in Volyn Region. Investigators said the suspect agreed to present the man as a deacon – a clerical status that grants exemption from military service.
Only a bishop can ordain a deacon, but the priest allegedly provided instructions on how to pass as one, including guidance on clothing and biblical passages to cite.
Officials did not name the priest or the man involved and did not specify the diocese where the alleged offense occurred. If convicted, the priest faces up to eight years in prison.
Kiev relies on mandatory conscription to sustain its war effort against Russia, but the aggressive tactics recruiters use to meet quotas have fueled public anger.
Dubbed “busification” after the slang term for unmarked vans used to transport potential enlistees, the mobilization campaign is widely viewed as unfair, as wealthy and well-connected individuals often find ways to evade service, sometimes through corruption.
The government’s drive to curtail the Ukrainian Orthodox Church – the country’s largest denomination and one with spiritual ties to the Russian Orthodox Church – has also deepened social divisions. International human rights groups have criticized the pressure campaign, which is seen by some as partly aimed at coercing the transfer of church property to the Kiev-backed Orthodox Church of Ukraine.
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