The Russian Orthodox Church handed over a group of Ukrainian POW to Hungary.

The Russian Orthodox Church allegedly handed over a group of Ukrainian prisoners of war to Hungary. 

According to the press service of the Russian Orthodox Church, the transfer was reportedly initiated by the Hungarian side, 

The statement mentions that the transfer took place with the blessing of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, through the mediation of the Russian Orthodox Church, at the request of the Hungarian side. The Ukrainian authorities were not involved in the transfer in any way, and experts emphasize that the movement of Ukrainian soldiers to any third country is impossible without the consent and direct participation of Ukraine.

One of the intermediaries in the alleged transfer was supposed to be the charitable organization Maltese Aid Service of the Sovereign Order of Malta. 

The purpose of such an action is an attempt to restore the lost legitimacy of the Russian Church, which has been subjected to broad international sanctions. 

Patriarch Kirill is trying to exploit the authority of other states and the international reputation of the Maltese Aid Service. Additionally, Russia intends to play the so-called "Hungarian card" and raise the issue of alleged "Transcarpathian separatism." 

This transfer could also have another purpose, which is to delegitimize the process of exchanging prisoners of war, as it involves the uncontrolled transfer of Ukrainian military personnel to other countries, albeit allegedly through a well-known organization.

Earlier, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban stated that he does not support the imposition of sanctions by the European Union against the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill. According to him, the Hungarian government opposes including church leaders in the European sanctions list because it could supposedly "threaten religious freedom." This is despite the fact that Patriarch Kirill openly supports the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, and the Russian Orthodox Church is involved in the deportation of Ukrainians to Russia.

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto previously called for negotiations between the United States and Russia to end the war in Ukraine. "Supplying weapons and imposing sanctions did not help save lives and bring peace to Ukraine. Instead, they lead to the continuation and escalation of this war, causing even more suffering. Hungary calls on the international community to finally start focusing on how to achieve a ceasefire and how to start peace negotiations as soon as possible," said the Hungarian Foreign Minister.

At the same time, Hungarian President Katalin Novak expressed support for a peaceful plan for Ukraine that does not involve Russia's victory and is based on "realistic goals." "We need a peaceful plan that does not entail victory for Russia and at the same time includes fair and realistic goals," she said, emphasizing that Russia should also withdraw its troops from Ukraine.