Pope’s envoy becomes first foreign representative to gain access to Ukrainian POWs held by Russia since 2022
Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, Pope Leo XIV’s special envoy, was allowed to physically visit Ukrainian prisoners of war held by Russia during his recent visit, Ukrainian ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said.
For the first time since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, a foreign envoy has gained permission to meet Ukrainian prisoners of war held by the Russian military. Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, a special envoy of Pope Leo XIV, visited Ukrainian POWs in Russia, marking a potential breakthrough in access to captives that have largely been cut off from international humanitarian organizations.
Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine's human rights ombudsman, confirmed the cardinal's visit, which also involved meetings with Russian officials such as Russia's human rights commissioner Yana Lantratova. The Pope's envoy's visit comes after Ukraine released 270 captives, including 261 soldiers and nine civilians, on October 23. Lubinets emphasized that each exchange presents an opportunity for progress in returning not only prisoners of war but also civilians held by Russia.
Written by urgent.news from Euromaidan Press's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
