Vatican city/Kyiv - Pope Francis once again turned his thoughts to the people of Ukraine who, he said, “still suffer from this cruel war”, while speaking to pilgrims gathered in the Paul VI Hall for the Wednesday General Audience.
He also asked for prayers for the many migrants arriving at this time and urged everyone to build peace in their families and society.
“I urge everyone to build unity and peace in the family, in the Church, and in society. It is not easy to be peacemakers, both in the family and in the Church, [and build] unity; but we have to do it, because it is important work.”
Pope Francis’ constant closeness to the Ukrainian people
On Sunday, Pope Francis had welcomed the departure from Ukraine's ports of the first shipload of grain, following the deal brokered by Turkey to allow the export of Ukrainian foodstuffs through the Black Sea, after nearly six months of blockade.
At the Angelus, the Holy Father said this step shows “that it is possible to dialogue and achieve concrete results, which benefit everyone” and, therefore, offers a sign of hope that a just and lasting peace can be found.
Pope’s desire to travel to Kyiv and Moscow
Since the Russian invasion on February 24, Pope Francis has expressed countless times his closeness to Ukraine and has made explicit his desire to travel personally to Kyiv to bring comfort and hope to the people affected by the war, also warning on the “danger” that the world might slowly turn its gaze away from the conflict.
Likewise, the Pope has said he is willing to travel to Moscow to plead for an end to the war. However, as confirmed in a recent interview by the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, dialogue between Rome and Moscow on this issue is “difficult” and there has been no explicit invitation for the Pope to go to Russia.
169th day of war
As the war enters its 169th day, there are no signs of it ending in the near future. On Wednesday, Russian shelling was reported to have hit Ukraine's central Dnipropetrovsk region, killing at least 13 people overnight.
Ukraine said Wednesday that nine Russian warplanes were destroyed in a deadly string of explosions at an air base in Crimea that appeared to be the result of a Ukrainian attack, which would represent a significant escalation in the war.
Russia denied any aircraft were damaged in Tuesday’s blasts — or that any attack took place. But satellite photos clearly showed at least seven fighter planes at the base had been blown up and others probably damaged.
Rising smoke seen from the beach at Saky after explosions were heard from the direction of a Russian military airbase near Novofedorivka, Crimea(UGC via AP)
Crimea holds huge strategic and symbolic significance for both sides. The Kremlin’s demand that Ukraine recognize Crimea as part of Russia has been one of its key conditions for ending the fighting, while Ukraine has vowed to drive the Russians from the peninsula and all other occupied territories.
The explosions, which killed one person and wounded 14, sent tourists fleeing in panic as plumes of smoke rose over the coastline nearby. Video showed shattered windows and holes in the brickwork of some buildings.
Crimea’s regional leader, Sergei Aksyonov, said some 250 residents were moved to temporary housing after dozens of apartment buildings were damaged.
Russian authorities sought to downplay the explosions, saying Wednesday that all hotels and beaches were unaffected on the peninsula, which is a popular tourist destination for many Russians. But video posted on social media showed long lines of slowly moving cars on the road to Russia as tourists headed for home.
During the war, the Kremlin has reported numerous fires and explosions on Russian territory near the Ukrainian border, blaming some of them on Ukrainian strikes. Ukrainian authorities have mostly kept silent about the incidents, preferring to keep the world guessing.
Neither side has released much information about their own casualties. In his nightly video address Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed nearly 43,000 Russian soldiers had been killed.
In Ukraine’s east, where fighting has raged for eight years, a Russian attack on the center of the city of Bakhmut in the Donetsk region killed seven, wounded six and damaged stores, homes and apartment buildings, setting off fires, Ukraine’s prosecutor general said on Telegram. Bakhmut is a key target for Russian forces as they advance on regional hubs.
On Wednesday, foreign ministers of the Group of Seven industrialized democracies demanded that Russia immediately hand back full control of the plant to Ukraine. They said they are “profoundly concerned” about the risk of a nuclear accident with far-reaching consequences.
The U.N. Security Council scheduled an open meeting Thursday at Russia’s request on what it claims were Ukrainian attacks on the Zaporizhzhia plant. Rafael Grossi, the International Atomic Energy Agency chief who said last week that the situation at the plant “is completely out of control,” was expected to brief the council.
-VN/AP