It has been revealed how many priests in Ukraine have received mobilization deferments

In Ukraine, 6.5 thousand clergy members have been deferred from mobilization. This figure was announced by Viktor Yelenskyi, Head of the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience, on June 3 during the presentation of the all-Ukrainian survey "Assessment of the Religious Situation in Ukraine," reports UNN.

Details

According to him, more than 10,000 religious organizations in our country have received the status of critical infrastructure entities. Consequently, they have gained the right to defer their employees. In total, there are currently 35,000 religion-related organizations registered and operating in Ukraine. 

Yelenskyi clarified that only the leading ministers of such organizations are eligible for deferment.  

Leading clergy of religious organizations and priests working in these religious organizations can receive a mobilization deferment through the reservation process. There are 6.5 thousand such priests who have been deferred 

At the same time, priests who head organizations belonging to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (MP) do not receive mobilization deferments, as such associations do not receive strategic status from the state.  

Should priests be mobilized into the ranks of the AFU: what Ukrainians think

During the press conference, Yelenskyi also spoke about public attitudes toward religious figures receiving "deferments." 

According to sociological research, 25% of respondents believe that priests should serve in the army just like everyone else, while 44% believe there should be exceptions for them, specifically that they should be non-combatants 

Reminder 

Starting June 1, 2026, updated rules for deferring conscripted employees of critical enterprises are set to take effect in Ukraine. The government is reviewing approaches to determining business criticality, changing salary level requirements, and clarifying the procedure for calculating deferment quotas.