Metropolitan Ionafan (Yeletskykh), the administrator of the Tulchyn diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church who was sentenced to five years in prison, was planned to be exchanged as a prisoner of war by transferring him to Russia. This follows from the decision of the court session held on April 15, 2024, at which prosecutors reported that the bishop was included in the exchange pool at the request of the Russian side.

As stated in the unified court register, the court considered in open court the motion of the prosecutor of the Vinnytsia regional prosecutor’s office to cancel the preventive measure against the accused Metropolitan Jonathan due to the decision of the authorized body to transfer the accused for exchange as a prisoner of war. Nevertheless, the decision was not made final due to the fact that “until now, no materials confirming the adoption by the authorized body of the decision to transfer the accused for exchange as a prisoner of war have been submitted to the filed petition”.

Thus, Metropolitan Jonathan remains under overnight house arrest and continues to challenge the decision on his imprisonment. In addition, judging from the published data, the hierarch continues to be on the lists for the exchange, which, apparently, can happen at any moment beyond the metropolitan’s control.

Metropolitan Jonathan (Yeletskikh), 75, the oldest hierarch of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, was sentenced by a court of first instance to 5 years in prison. The hierarch was accused of actions aimed at forcibly changing or overthrowing the constitutional order or seizing state power and encroaching on the territorial integrity of Ukraine.