Moscow: Cardinal Matteo Zuppi has completed his third mission to Russia, with the situation of Ukrainian prisoners of war, missing people and children separated from their families at the centre of his discussions in Moscow.
The three day visit ended on Wednesday, September 30. The Cardinal, who serves as the Holy Father’s special envoy for humanitarian issues and is President of the Italian Bishops’ Conference, also visited a camp holding Ukrainian prisoners of war.
During the visit, Cardinal Zuppi spoke with the prisoners and conveyed Pope Leo XIV’s closeness to them. He also expressed hope that they would be able to return home soon.
Archbishop Giovanni d’Aniello, Apostolic Nuncio to Moscow, accompanied Cardinal Zuppi throughout the mission.
During his meetings in Moscow, the Cardinal held talks with Yuri Ushakov, foreign policy adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Their discussions covered military and civilian prisoners, efforts to locate missing people, the reunification of families and the return of children to Ukraine.
Cardinal Zuppi also met Yana Lantratova, Russia’s Commissioner for Human Rights. She thanked him for what she described as his “constructive approach”.
The Cardinal also met Maria Lvova Belova, Russia’s Commissioner for Children’s Rights.
The humanitarian mission included a particular focus on the practical checks needed to establish the identity and whereabouts of people affected by the war and to help separated families come together again.
“We need to strengthen and speed up the checks needed to ensure that families can be reunited,” Cardinal Zuppi said.
The Moscow mission was Cardinal Zuppi’s third visit to Russia after earlier trips in June 2023 and October 2024. It followed his visit to Ukraine in July, where he also visited camps holding Russian prisoners of war in the Lviv region.
The latest mission continued the Holy See’s humanitarian efforts concerning prisoners, missing persons and children affected by the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.