Pope Leo XIV called Russian President Vladimir Putin while recovering in the hospital from lung surgery and asked him to agree to a ceasefire in Oleshky, a Russian-controlled city in Ukraine’s Kherson region, according to the Vatican.
The Vatican said the pope raised concerns about conditions for residents and called for a halt in fighting to permit food and medical supplies to enter, as well as voluntary and safe evacuations of civilians. It added that Leo reiterated the Holy See’s commitment to dialogue and peace.
The supplied report described Oleshky’s humanitarian conditions as severe. It said the city had received no humanitarian food deliveries since May and lacked electricity, gas and running water. The local hospital was described as barely functional. The source did not provide a date for the start of the reported aid restrictions or independent verification of the conditions.
The Kremlin offered a different account of responsibility. It said Putin gave Leo a detailed explanation blaming Ukrainian authorities for the difficult situation in Oleshky. The Kremlin also said Putin supported the Vatican’s intention to help create conditions for residents’ safety and for deliveries of essential supplies. The statements presented by the Vatican and Kremlin did not describe any agreed ceasefire or specify what steps either side would take next.
The call took place as Leo recovered from a procedure to remove the lower lobe of his right lung. The report said he remained hospitalized on Friday and cited his doctors as describing continued improvement. A medical update signed by his personal physician, Luigi Carbone, and thoracic surgery chief Stefano Margaritora said the pope could manage his normal daily activities independently.
The Vatican also released photographs showing Leo standing at an altar in a makeshift hospital chapel, where he had held Mass. He was expected to deliver his traditional Angelus prayer on Sunday, either from the hospital or the Vatican, according to the report. He was also still expected to travel to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru beginning Nov. 6.
The report said Leo had been diagnosed with lung cancer on Tuesday. It did not provide further details about the diagnosis or a prognosis. The diplomatic appeal concerning Oleshky came amid the pope’s recovery, while the two sides’ differing statements underscored that they had not presented a shared account of the city’s humanitarian situation.
