VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV spoke by telephone with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Oct. 16, calling for a ceasefire in Russia’s war on Ukraine and for humanitarian relief to reach civilians in Oleshky, a partially occupied city in the Kherson region.

The call came three days after the pope underwent lung cancer surgery at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital. The Kremlin said Putin wished Pope Leo a speedy recovery and supported Vatican efforts concerning civilian safety and delivery of essential aid. It said cooperation on the matter had been agreed.

Concern for civilians in Oleshky

The Holy See Press Office said the pope raised concern over the humanitarian conditions in Oleshky. He called for a halt in fighting that would allow food and medical assistance to enter and permit civilians to leave voluntarily and safely.

More than 6,000 civilians, including about 200 children, remain in Oleshky and nearby communities, according to the Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations. The council appealed for intervention on Sept. 19, saying residents were trapped near the front line in a “gray zone.”

The council said Russian forces had imposed a humanitarian blockade around the city. Food supplies were last delivered at the end of May. The Institute for the Study of War said in an Oct. 2 assessment that no food had reached Oleshky since May 26.

Ukraine’s foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, said Russian officials had repeatedly denied evacuations and humanitarian assistance. He said “chilling accounts are emerging” from the area. Drone strikes, mines and Russian occupation forces have also prevented many residents from departing, according to the available accounts.

Vatican appeal for peace

Pope Leo reaffirmed the Holy See’s commitment to dialogue and peace. In his World Food Day message on Oct. 16, he described access to food as “a basic human right.”

The blockade has compounded harm linked to the 2023 destruction of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant, which flooded Oleshky and other communities in Kherson, the Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations said.

International humanitarian law requires the rapid and unimpeded passage of relief for civilians in need. Russia’s attacks on Ukraine began in 2014 and expanded into a full-scale invasion in 2022. Reports issued by the New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy and the Raoul Wallenberg Center for Human Rights have classified Russia’s attacks as genocide.

Category: Vatican