Ukraine hands priest from Moscow-linked church over to Russia in prisoner swap
Ukraine handed a priest of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) over to Russia as part of a prisoner swap on 14 December.
Source: Andrii Yusov, a representative of Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence, during the 24/7 joint newscast, reported by Radio Svoboda (Radio Liberty)
Quote: "I can report a curious detail. Today, the Russians reported on their Telegram channels that they got a priest of the UOC-MP who had been sentenced in Ukraine for treason. I will say that with his [the priest’s] help in this context [i.e. the prisoner swap], a US citizen was brought back to Ukraine today and can return home."
Details: Yusov said the American citizen was an activist who had been staying in Kherson and was illegally arrested by the occupying authorities.
Yusov did not provide any other details of this part of the exchange.
Background: On 14 December, the latest prisoner swap took place. Ukraine brought back 64 soldiers who fought in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts.
The release of Suedi Murekezi, a US citizen who had been helping Ukrainians, was also secured in the swap.
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