Hungarian Vice Prime Minister Zsolt Semjén confirmed the information that Russia handed over 11 Ukrainian prisoners of war, ethnic Hungarians, to Hungary, ATV said.

The publication said earlier the Russian Orthodox Church issued a statement that on June 8, "as part of inter-church cooperation, at the request of the Hungarian side, a group of Ukrainian prisoners of war of Zakarpattia origin who participated in hostilities was transferred to Hungary."

The media said, citing insider sources, that the transfer of prisoners of war was not coordinated with the Ukrainian side.

Semjén, however, refused to disclose details, citing "the interests of the cause and the people."

However, later Semjén told ATV that "all this is a gesture of the Russian Orthodox Church towards Hungary, these people owe their freedom to it."

"This is my human and patriotic duty," he said.