Military Chaplains of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Outline the Essentials of Spiritual Resilience for Ukrainian Soldiers
On October 13, a briefing of the Military Chaplaincy Service of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was held in Kyiv. The event was devoted to contemporary aspects of military pastoral care, the formation of spiritual resilience among Ukrainian soldiers, and the Service’s interaction with religious organizations.
One of the speakers was a priest of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Senior Lieutenant of the Chaplaincy Service Fr. Rostyslav Vysochan, acting head of the Department for Cooperation with Religious Organizations and deputy head of the Military Chaplaincy Service of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The briefing was devoted to Military Chaplain Day, which was marked the day before, on October 12, the day of commemoration of St. Martin of Tours, patron saint of all military chaplains.
According to Colonel Oleksandr Vovkotecha, head of the Military Chaplaincy Service of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the military chaplaincy service was officially introduced into the structure of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on September 6, 2022, by a joint resolution of the Minister of Defense of Ukraine and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Its primary mission is to organize events to meet the spiritual and religious needs of military personnel, Armed Forces employees, and their families.
The briefing detailed the scope of military chaplaincy, as well as the principles of service and training for military chaplains. Today, clergy from 13 religious organizations, including the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, serve as military chaplains.
“Our priests immediately began serving as military chaplains—from battalions and combat brigades to various military command bodies, including at the strategic level in the Military Chaplaincy Service of the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” said Fr. Rostyslav Vysotchan in a comment to the Information Department of the UGCC.
During the briefing, Fr. Rostyslav presented a report from the Department of Cooperation with Religious Organizations of the Military Chaplaincy Service of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the work carried out in 2024. He emphasized that the mission of a military chaplain is an integral part of the comprehensive training of a soldier.
“The mission of a military chaplain is not simply to complete something undone. It is to care for Ukrainian soldiers, to be part of their holistic education, training, and preparation,” said the priest.
He emphasized that the activities of chaplains directly influence the formation of the spiritual resilience of military personnel—an inner strength that enables them to withstand a blow, relying on faith, values, and beliefs.
“Based on the results of research conducted jointly with British chaplains, we have identified five key components of spiritual resilience in Ukrainian soldiers: faith in God, patriotism, family, awareness of the justice of our war, and the value of freedom,” said the chaplain.
Father Rostyslav emphasized that every military chaplain embraces two identities—that of a clergyman and that of an officer—and therefore interaction with religious organizations is a natural part of his ministry.
To coordinate this cooperation, there is an Interfaith Council on Military Chaplaincy under the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, which includes representatives of all religious organizations involved in chaplaincy.
“A chaplain must maintain contact with his religious community, because only those who live a deep spiritual life can provide spiritual support to others,” stressed Fr. Rostyslav.
Military chaplains are trained at the Military Chaplain Training Center of the Postgraduate Education Department of the Military Institute of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. In 2023–2024, 236 military chaplains from 12 religious organizations completed the training. An 8-week advanced training program is planned for 2025, as well as international training sessions with American and British chaplains.
In addition, chaplains participate in international scientific and practical conferences, particularly in Germany and Sweden, where they present the Ukrainian experience of pastoral support and the formation of spiritual resilience in wartime.
“The world today is searching for spiritual resilience. And, seeing Ukraine, it expects certain answers from us. We are glad to share our experience,” concluded Father Rostyslav Vysotchan.
