President asks UOC Primate to help release Ukrainian seamen

Petro Poroshenko and His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy of Kiev and All Ukraine

Petro Poroshenko turned to His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy with a request to assist in the release of the Ukrainian naval men detained by Russia in the waters of the Sea of Azov. This is stated on the website of the President.

“Yesterday and the day before yesterday I spoke with the head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, His Beatitude Onufriy. I appealed to him with a request to immediately contact Moscow through the Church in order to take appropriate measures to return (our sailors – Ed.). I will exploit every opportunity to return our soldiers. We will pray and hope that this will happen as soon as possible,” Poroshenko said.

Earlier, Metropolitan Agafangel of Odessa and Izmail appealed to Patriarch Kirill with a request for assistance to free from captivity and return home the detained Ukrainian seamen. Later, Metropolitan Anatoly of Sarny and Polesye made a similar appeal to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

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