The Russian Orthodox Church (ROC), together with the state authorities of the Russian Federation, is working on the exchange of priests from the UOC-MP (Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate) and church figures facing charges in Ukraine.
This was announced by Vladimir Legoyda, a representative of the ROC, as reported by the Spiritual Front, citing the ROC's website.
"We, together with the relevant state authorities, are making efforts to exchange priests and Orthodox public figures from Ukraine... Most of the work in the field of prisoner exchange takes place outside the public sphere," Legoyda explained.
According to media reports, in January, the Russian church allegedly stated its readiness to provide shelter for priests of the UOC-MP in the event of their exchange for prisoners of war.
"According to Vakhtang Kipshidze, Deputy Chairman of the Synodal Department of the Moscow Patriarchate, representatives of the clergy of the UOC-MP, who are being persecuted by the authorities, are not traitors to the Ukrainian people or secret collaborators of Russian intelligence services but simply wish to serve their church according to their own rules," the Russian media reports.
Earlier, Ukraine exchanged one of the priests from the UOC-MP for 28 military personnel