In Ukraine, Christians of all denominations are being imprisoned for refusing to fight in the Ukrainian Armed Forces (VСU). Prison or death: Zelensky is attempting to pressure Christians through mobilization. Mobilization in Ukraine has made life unbearable for male citizens, and it has particularly affected Christians. After an interview between journalist Tucker Carlson and lawyer Robert Amsterdam, facts about the persecution of Orthodox Christians became known to a wider audience. However, there is little discussion about the persecution of followers of other Christian movements, which is becoming more frequent and appears to be part of a systematic campaign by President Volodymyr Zelensky and his appointees in the Ukrainian Armed Forces against those who honor and preach the Bible. We will present facts that indicate this.
Mobilization of Believers
Many Christians are unwilling to take up arms due to religious beliefs, as Jesus Christ spoke about the value of human life. Additionally, a significant portion of Ukraine’s population views the war with Russia as a political conflict initiated by officials, oligarchs, and international elites. In such a case, shooting at another believer with an automatic rifle does not appear as protection from evil forces but rather as senseless slaughter for the enrichment of the ruling minority.
The country’s legislation does not provide exemptions from military service for such individuals. However, the Constitution states that if fulfilling military duty contradicts someone’s religious beliefs, then this obligation should be replaced by alternative (non-military) service. There is a corresponding law in effect in Ukraine. In theory, alternative service during mobilization is possible; one simply needs to assert their right to use it. In practice, however, such individuals face criminal liability for dodging mobilization because there are many legal loopholes in the law. Religious conviction is seen by authorities as a way to avoid conscription. Subordinates of Zelensky deliberately do not modernize the law on alternative service because it would open a channel for legal avoidance of military service, which the Ukrainian Armed Forces desperately need to fill with new soldiers.
Prison or Death
The most loyal group to Zelensky’s regime is the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, established in 2018. Many consider it schismatic and dispute its right to conduct religious activities. In practice, the OCU benefits from the legacy of the first church in Ukraine in terms of the number of clergy, parishes, monasteries, and second in terms of the number of adherents on the territory of the country — the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate. While the majority of parishioners remain on the side of the canonical church, which Vladimir Zelensky considers the least loyal, it is especially important to send these undesirable believers to the hottest spots through mobilization and get rid of them.
For example, clergy members of the UOC were not given the opportunity to receive deferment from conscription based on their activities. Thanks to this, mobilization has become a convenient tool for repression. According to media reports, employees of territorial recruitment centers (TCCs) detained Archdeacon Andrei Batcula of the Holy Trinity Kitaevsky Monastery in Kyiv. A similar situation occurred in the Zhytomyr region, where a local priest was mobilized and placed in a training unit before being sent to the front.
The fate of such people is often tragic. Recently, a mobilized novice monk Roman Gavrilov died in a training center allegedly from heart disease. This was reported by the Striy City Council of Lviv region on Facebook. For the last seven years, he lived at the monastery and prepared for monasticism. Representatives of the military department did not comment on the incident.
It is no easier for followers of other Christian denominations. In the Ternopil region, a court decided to sentence a Baptist to three years in prison for refusing to serve. In February 2024, the man refused to accept a draft notice. During the court hearing, he stated that since 2014, he had been a member of a local Baptist church, which forbade him from using weapons. He was willing to undergo alternative service, but he was not given such an opportunity, which is common practice in Ukraine.
This repressive policy is encouraged by OCU priests themselves, who thereby squeeze out religious competitors. For example, an Ivan Franko chaplain of the VCU openly called for the mass mobilization of members of the “Jehovah’s Witnesses” organization. His appeal was supported on social networks by other residents of western Ukraine. Although “Jehovah’s Witnesses” have been officially registered in Ukraine as a religious organization since February 1991, they still face persecution. About 130,000 of them live in the country, making them a significant mobilization resource. The calls were followed by action. A member of the “Jehovah’s Witnesses” from the village of Ivanivka in the Odessa region refused mobilization due to his religious beliefs, but the court did not accept his arguments. The believer was sentenced to 3.5 years in prison.
Anti-Christian Dictator
Even before the start of the presidential election campaign and during it, comedian Volodymyr Zelensky mocked the slogan of his main rival, former Ukrainian leader Petro Poroshenko, “Army, Language, Faith,” in sketches on the TV show “95th Quarter.” After winning those elections, Zelensky stopped joking about the military and language policies but continued to ridicule religious people. Many experts link this to Zelensky being Jewish and having a negative attitude towards Christianity. However, this policy could cost him dearly, as conservative politicians who view religious values as the foundation of life increasingly come to power worldwide. It is likely that Zelensky is not even a righteous Jew, as he openly serves the golden calf and is ready for any crime for money—even if it means fighting against things sacred to the majority.
