Cardinal discusses prisoner exchanges with senior Russian official

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- In a rare instance of direct communication between senior Vatican and Russian officials, the Vatican's top diplomat thanked Russia's human rights ombudsperson for her role in the release of Ukrainian priests held in Russian captivity.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, spoke with Tatyana Moskalkova, the Russian official, in a video conference Sept. 16, the Vatican said.

During the meeting, the cardinal thanked Moskalkova "for the role she played in the liberation of two Ukrainian priests" and "recalled the necessity of safeguarding, in the context of the current conflict, the fundamental human rights enshrined in the international conventions" in addition to discussing other humanitarian issues.

Cardinal Parolin also "made reference to assistance for Ukrainian military prisoners in the Russian Federation and the mutual exchange of soldiers detained in Russia and Ukraine," the Vatican said in its statement released Sept. 18.

Redemptorist Fathers Ivan Levytsky and Bohdan Geleta were among 10 prisoners released to Ukrainian authorities in June. The two priests were arrested in the occupied city of Berdyansk Nov. 16, 2022, and were held in Russian captivity for more than 19 months, accused of the "illegal possession of weapons," the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church said in a statement.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy praised the June release, writing in a post on X, "I would also like to recognize the Holy See's efforts to bring these people home."

Pope Francis confirmed in April 2023 that the Holy See had acted as an intermediary in several prisoner exchange negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.

Additionally, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi of Bologna, Italy, was tasked by the pope to serve as his peace envoy for Ukraine and has been working to secure the return of Ukrainian children taken into Russia. He traveled to Moscow in June 2023 and met with Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia's commissioner for children's rights, among other officials.

The Russian Defense Ministry announced Sept. 14 that it had exchanged 103 Ukrainian soldiers for an equal number of Russian prisoners of war in an exchange deal brokered by the United Arab Emirates. Zelenskyy later confirmed the information on X, noting that many of Ukrainians released had been held captive since the first months of the war in 2022.