UOC MP clergymen are eager to be exchanged, while Russia is reluctant, according to a source

A source from the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War provided information to UP (Ukrainska Pravda), which was reported by Religiina Pravda.

"There is no established practice for the exchange of UOC-MP priests for a specific category of prisoners or civilian hostages. The numbers involved are different, and Russia’s level of interest in them varies,” the source explained to UP. “Representatives of the UOC-MP tend to express a desire to be handed over to Russia much more frequently than Russia expresses a desire to accept them.”

“Typically, for one UOC-MP priest, we receive more than a dozen prisoners in return. Sometimes, these exchanges allow us to bring back not only military personnel and civilian hostages but also high-level agents of the Ukrainian special services,” another anonymous source from the security forces added.

According to law enforcement agency sources, Metropolitan Pavlo of Vyshgorod and Chernobyl (Pavlo Lebed, nicknamed “Pasha Mercedes”), who is suspected of justifying Russian aggression and violating citizens’ rights, was asked if he wanted to be included in the exchange lists. He responded, “No. I love Ukraine.”