Nikopol, Dnipropetrovsk Province, Ukraine, March 6, 2026
Fr. Vitaly Agafonov. Photo: Facebook
A priest of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church from Nikopol has been placed in military detention and charged with desertion after leaving his army assignment, citing his priestly conscience as the reason he could not bear arms.
Archpriest Vitaly Agafonov, a cleric of the Transfiguration Cathedral of Nikopol in the Krivoy Rog Diocese of the UOC, was mobilized in November of last year and assigned to serve as a rifleman-sniper in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Unable to take up weapons in accordance with his priestly conscience, he left his post, reports Archpriest Nikita Chekman, who represents the Kiev Caves Lavra and the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church in numerous legal proceedings as the Church faces ongoing persecution from the state.
Following his detention, a court set bail at 266,240 hryvnias ($6,075) during a hearing on the application of a preventive measure. The law firm representing Fr. Vitaly noted that the granting of bail under such a charge during martial law is an extremely rare occurrence.
Fr. Chekman noted that clergy of the UOC are currently effectively barred from serving as military chaplains or obtaining a legally prescribed deferment from mobilization, leaving priests in a situation where they may be conscripted into combat roles despite canonical prohibitions on clergy taking up weapons.
A fundraising campaign was launched to cover the bail amount for Fr. Vitaly’s release, with a goal of 270,000 hryvnias. The campaign goal has since been met.
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