Maria Lvova-Belova, accused of kidnapping children, was issued an arrest warrant by the Criminal Court in the Hague on March 17. Her husband, Pavel Kogelman, is a priest of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Kogelman was ordained in 2019 by Metropolitan Seraphim of Penza. Prior to his ordination, he worked as a programmer.
In February 2023, Maria and Fr. Pavel "adopted" a 15-year-old boy from Mariupol.
On March 17, the International Criminal Court in The Hague issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Lvova-Belova, who holds the title of Presidential Commissioner for Children's Rights. The two are suspected of committing a war crime, specifically the illegal deportation and transfer of children from the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine to Russia.
Commenting on the court's decision, the abductor said she was happy because the international society "appreciated her work on helping children."
She added that she will continue to "work" (kidnap Ukrainian children), even despite the warrant.