Ukraine exchanged one priest from Moscow-linked church for 28 Ukrainian soldiers

Ukraine has exchanged one of the priests of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) accused of collaborating with the Russian Federation for 28 Ukrainian servicemen. Source: Vasyl Maliuk, Head of the Security Service of Ukraine, in an interview with the Interfax-Ukraine news agency; source of Ukrainska Pravda in law enforcement agencies Details: Maliuk recalled that, since 2022, criminal proceedings have been initiated against 61 clergymen.

In total, the courts have already issued seven verdicts against individual clerics who sided with the Russians. As the head of the Security Service of Ukraine stated, two priests of the UOC-MP were exchanged.

Quote: "I want to emphasise that the enemy highly values its agents in cassocks; for example, one such person was exchanged for 28 Ukrainian servicemen." Details: As Ukrainska Pravda reported, it is about UOC-MP priest Andrii Pavlenko from the city of Lysychansk, sentenced to 12 years of imprisonment for high treason, who was exchanged by the Ukrainian side on 14 December 2022, in particular, for an American activist.

At that time, Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner Group, personally met the exchanged clergyman. Maliuk reported that, as per the SSU materials, the Ukrainian citizenship of 19 priests of the UOC-MP has been revoked.

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Quote: "I have already said before that the presence of a cassock and incense is not an aggravating circumstance, but it is not exempt from criminal responsibility.

And it does not give any indulgences.

We work exclusively within the framework of the law, regardless of church rank."

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