On Saturday, June 22, Metropolitan Jonathan (Yeleckykh) of the UOC-MP was taken to the border with Belarus, where he was handed over to Russian representatives.
Glavkom received this information and other details of the exchange from its own sources in law enforcement.
According to an editorial insider, Jonathan's value lies in the fact that he was exchanged for several Ukrainian prisoners of war held in captivity in Russia.
The informed source noted that the Russian side specifically wanted to take the Metropolitan of Tulchyn and Bratslav of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate. In particular, the insider said that an official appeal was received from Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church.
As RISU previously reported, on Saturday, Metropolitan Jonathan of Tulchyn of the UOC-MP took part in a service at the Holy Spirit Cathedral in Minsk.
Metropolitan Jonathan had been sentenced to five years in prison with confiscation of property for justifying, recognizing as legitimate, denying the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, and glorifying its participants.
Said court decision was later confirmed by the Vinnytsia Court of Appeal. On June 12, during a court hearing, Metropolitan Jonathan refused to be included in the list for the POWs exchange.