KYIV: Russia and Ukraine on Saturday said that priests were among the dozens of captured soldiers and civilians they had exchanged earlier this week.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that two Ukrainian Greek Catholic priests, Bogdan Geleta and Ivan Levytskyi, who were held captive in the Moscow-occupied city of Berdiansk, have been returned to Ukraine. The priests’ release was facilitated through the mediation efforts of the Vatican, Zelensky stated during an event in Kyiv.
Berdiansk, located on the Azov Sea, came under Russian control during the initial days of the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The priests had been in captivity since November 16, 2022.
“I am especially grateful for the efforts of our team and the mediation of the Vatican,” Zelensky remarked.
Meanwhile, Russia confirmed the exchange by stating that a prominent Ukrainian Orthodox cleric, Metropolitan Ionafan, along with two other priests, was handed over to Moscow as part of the prisoner swap. Metropolitan Ionafan had previously been convicted in August 2023 for justifying the Russian invasion and was serving a sentence of five years.
In Moscow, Russian ombudsman Tatiana Moskalkova reported that Metropolitan Ionafan was received by Patriarch Kirill, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church. Additionally, two other Orthodox priests affiliated with Moscow’s patriarchate, who remained with the church following its split with Kyiv’s Orthodox church, were also returned to Russia during the exchange.
The exchange of prisoners between Ukraine and Russia included a total of 90 prisoners of war (POWs) and several civilians. The conflict has heavily impacted churches in the region, with Ukraine’s Orthodox church severing ties with Moscow, accusing clerics of treason.
Pope Francis had previously expressed hopes for a broader prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia earlier this year.
