Lyman, Donetsk Province, Ukraine, July 3, 2026
Photo: spzh.eu
An Orthodox monk was abducted from a monastery in eastern Ukraine more than two weeks ago and his whereabouts remain unknown.
Archimandrite Avvakum, a monastic of the Protection of the Mother of God Monastery in Lyman, was seized by unknown individuals in military uniforms from within the monastery, the Union of Orthodox Journalists reported on June 30.
Since the abduction, all contact with the archimandrite has been lost and no information about his location has emerged.
Preliminary reports indicate that servicemen from military brigades deployed along the Lyman section of the front were involved in the incident.
Ukrainian authorities have refused to extend military exemptions to hierarchs, clergy, and monastics of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), which has faced a broad campaign of persecution from the state. Forcible seizures of clergy and their transportation to military recruitment centers have been reported in connection with this policy.
Orthodox believers have been called to intensified prayer for the life and wellbeing of Archimandrite Avvakum.
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