Ivan Stupak. Photo: Freedom
Former SBU employee, former MP Ivan Stupak in an interview 24 Channel stated that the priests of the UOC are of special value to Russia.
He said that 25 such convicted church ministers could become important “trump card” for exchange with Russia for Ukrainian fighters, in particular from the regiment “Azov”. According to him, the experience of previous exchanges showed that Russia attaches great importance to the return of its priests. For example, Stupak said that in the Luhansk region One UOC rector exchanged for 47 Ukrainian prisoners.
“If the Russians see a need for these priests, then we can start bargaining not only 1 to 1, but 1 to 3 or 5. This is war, we are trying to sell at a higher price the “product” that we do not need, but the Russians need.”– Stupak emphasized. He also added that among the prisoners in Ukraine there is a certain “Russian spiritual father” which by “according to church canons, he is equivalent to at least a colonel of the Russian FSB.”
As reported by the Union of Journalists, American lawyer Robert Amsterdam warned that the Ukrainian authorities could be punished for proposing an exchange to a UOC hierarchas this grossly violates international norms.
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