Pope Leo XIV called Putin regarding the famine in Oleshky
The Holy See Press Office published a statement announcing that Pope Leo XIV held a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Pope Leo XIV. Photo: Simone Risoluti — Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images
«During the conversation, the Holy Father expressed deep concern about the grave humanitarian situation in the city of Oleshky, Kherson Oblast, and called for a ceasefire to ensure the delivery of food and medical aid, as well as the voluntary and safe evacuation of the civilian population,» the statement reads.
The Pope also reaffirmed the Holy See's commitment to promoting dialogue and peace.
What Vladimir Putin replied to this has not yet been reported.
The city of Oleshky, occupied by Russian troops on the left bank of the Dnipro in Kherson Oblast, is on the verge of the gravest humanitarian catastrophe and a complete blockade. Due to the lack of regular supplies of food, medicine, and electricity, about two thousand residents who remain there are suffering from hunger, and attempts to evacuate from the frontline zone are associated with great danger due to mining and fighting.