The head of the Catholic Church called from St. Peter's Square for respect for humanitarian law and a return to diplomacy. The Vatican is preparing a new mission to Moscow, while Russian attacks on Odesa continue to cause civilian casualties.
On Saturday, August 9, 2026, Pope Leo XIV issued a new, powerful appeal to end the war that has been devastating Ukraine and Russia for four and a half years. During the Angelus prayer in St. Peter's Square, the head of the Catholic Church equated the suffering of the innocent on both sides of the conflict, calling for an immediate halt to attacks on civilian targets.
"Painful news continues to arrive about innocent people killed and wounded in Ukraine and Russia. Tragic events are not only continuing but multiplying, causing ever more civilian casualties, including children," said Pope Leo XIV, as reported by the Italian news agency ANSA. "I am close to the families of the victims, the wounded, and all those suffering because of the ongoing conflict. Faced with so much pain, I renew my fervent appeal for respect for humanitarian law and for an end, on both sides, to attacks that hit civilian targets."
In his address, the Pope emphasized the futility of continuing the armed conflict. "War does nothing but generate new war and cause immense suffering. It is time to stop the spiral of violence and give space to diplomacy and dialogue to open the way to peace," Pope Leo XIV said.
In line with this appeal, the Holy See is intensifying its diplomatic efforts. Monsignor Paul Richard Gallagher, the Vatican's Secretary for Relations with States, and Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, the Pope's special envoy, plan to travel to Moscow at the end of August 2026. This mission, the first of its kind since the beginning of the war, has not yet been officially announced by the Vatican but has been confirmed by the Russian embassy to the Holy See. Gallagher will focus on political issues, while Cardinal Zuppi will address humanitarian aspects.
Cardinal Zuppi, who was also sent to Moscow by Pope Francis in 2023 and 2024, visited prisoner-of-war camps in Ukraine in mid-July 2026. According to sources close to the Cardinal, he also wishes to visit camps in Russia, including the occupied Donetsk region, and this visit could take place in September 2026.
The Pope's appeal comes at a time of escalating conflict on the ground. Russian forces carried out a combined drone and ballistic missile attack on Odesa on Saturday, injuring six people. According to the local military administration, residential buildings and infrastructure were damaged, and the city experienced power supply issues.
Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that its forces had advanced in the Donetsk region and captured the villages of Vasyutynske and Toretske. They also reported destroying two oil refineries in Ukraine's Sumy region.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the latest Russian attacks, particularly those on the energy sector and the port in Odesa on the Black Sea. He also released staggering figures on the intensity of Russian attacks over the past week: Russia launched 61 missiles of various types, carried out more than 1,560 drone attacks, and dropped 1,540 aerial bombs on Ukrainian territory.
