The Russian Orthodox Church announced that “Ukrainian prisoners of war” had been handed over to Hungary, which acted as an intermediary, and expressed regret that Kiev had not been involved in the talks on Friday.
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The transfer took place on Thursday “with the blessing” of Patriarch Kirill, “in the framework of inter-church cooperation and at the request of the Hungarian side,” the Moscow Patriarchate said in a statement, calling the “humanitarian Christian.”
The group hails from Transcarpathia, a region in western Ukraine that is home to a large Magyar community, according to the same source.
“This is a gesture of the Russian Orthodox Church towards Hungary, to which these people owe their freedom,” Zsolt Semjen, the Hungarian deputy prime minister responsible for religious affairs, told the atv.hu website.
He declined to give details “to protect the interests of the victims”.
Contacted by AFP, the government did not immediately respond.
Prime Minister Viktor Orban maintains ties to the Kremlin and has developed strong ties with the Russian Orthodox Church. A staunch supporter of Vladimir Putin’s military offensive against Ukraine, Kirill escaped EU sanctions last year in the name of protecting “religious freedom” thanks to his support.
The Hungarian leader also maintains complicated relations with Kyiv, which he refuses to help militarily.
The feud between the two neighbors is not new, and Hungary has long condemned a series of laws strengthening the use of the Ukrainian language to the detriment of the Magyar minority in Transcarpathia.
While Ukrainian officials welcome the release of prisoners of war as “always good news,” they regret being reported by the media, according to which 11 Ukrainians of Magyar descent would be concerned.
Officials at the embassy were received at the Foreign Ministry for a “substantial conversation,” spokesman Oleg Nikolenko said on Facebook.
Kyiv requested detailed information to provide diplomatic assistance to its citizens and “stressed the need to work cooperatively on such important matters”.
The atv.hu site has fueled the possible role of Pope Francis, who strongly condemns the “ridiculous and cruel” war and multiplies calls for peace in Ukraine.
In September 2022, the sovereign pontiff said in an interview published in a Jesuit magazine that he had played a mediating role with Russia to expedite the release of about 300 Ukrainian prisoners.
