Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets assessed the possibility of exchanging representatives of the UOC-MP for captured Ukrainians.
"I would not like to escalate the issue specifically on representatives of the Church. I can say that any citizen of the Russian Federation who is interested in the Russian authorities, we are ready to consider any options for returning them to the territory of Russia for the return of our heroes," he said in an interview with Radio Liberty, UNIAN reports.
The Ombudsman also recalled that the Geneva Convention prohibits the exchange of civilians.
"We can only change prisoners of war. We can only release civilians within the framework of, perhaps, some mutual obligations. Or, for example, after having convicted them, send them to the territory of the Russian Federation to serve their sentences. First of all, it is very important for us to find legal grounds. And we have them. Moreover, there are different options. And secondly, yes, we are ready to do it," Lubinets explained.
Since the end of November, the SBU has been conducting counterintelligence activities in religious buildings on the territories of monasteries and dioceses of the UOC-MP. In the first few days alone, more than 350 church buildings and 850 people were checked. Searches are still being conducted at the facilities of the UOC-MP in various regions.
In the course of counterintelligence activities, the SBU found propaganda literature that denies the existence of Ukraine, medals for the "liberation of Crimea", Russian passports and symbols of Russian terrorist groups in the Donbas.
In addition, during the searches, security forces caught the secretary of the MP Diocese of Chernivtsi, Mykyta, with a naked underage guy.