Pope Leo expressed his concern about the situation in Ukraine, following the latest Russian attacks on the city of Zaporizhzhia and the eponymous region, which have left at least one person dead and 25 injured.
From the Apostolic Palace, in St. Peter’s Square, the pontiff expressed his sorrow for the civilian victims.
“With a heavy heart, I have followed the news of the violent attacks that have recently struck several cities and civilian infrastructures in Ukraine, causing the death of innocent people,” he said.
According to data provided by Governor Ivan Fedorov, during the last 24 hours Russian forces carried out a total of 886 attacks on 54 localities in the region.
The pontiff also called to end the attacks and move towards a diplomatic solution.
“I renew my appeal to end the violence, to stop the destruction, to open hearts to dialogue and peace. I hope that the efforts made these days to resume negotiations will bear concrete fruit and open space for diplomacy,” he stated.
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In his message, he also asked “that harmony prevail in all the conflicts of the world.”
According to Ukrainian authorities, Moscow carried out 25 air raids and used 673 drones of various types, mostly FPV.
Likewise, the authorities reported two attacks with multiple rocket launcher systems and 186 artillery bombardments.
A drone attack on Zaporizhzhia that occurred the previous afternoon had caused at least 15 injuries, as well as damage to homes and an office building.
On the other hand, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported that during the night its air defenses shot down 258 Ukrainian drones in 14 Russian regions, as well as in occupied Crimea and over the waters of the Black and Azov seas.
