Russia holds approximately 27,000 civilian hostages: Ombudsman appeals to the Vatican for help
According to Ukrinform, this appeal was made during a meeting that took place in Kyiv on Monday.
"The Russian Federation is detaining civilians en masse. The approximate number we currently mention is 27,000 Ukrainian citizens. However, it is impossible to establish an exact figure. This includes priests from various denominations. I would like to draw your attention to the fact that two priests of the UGCC were detained in the temporarily occupied territory and are held captive by the Russian Federation. We also ask you to do everything possible to save them," Lubynets said.
According to his information, the priests are held in colonies. "The Russian Federation continues to oppress the rights of believers in the temporarily occupied territories. In total, 305 religious structures have been directly destroyed," added the ombudsman.
It should be noted that Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, the Pope's envoy for peace in Ukraine, is visiting Kyiv on June 5-6. The main purpose of his visit is to attentively listen to the Ukrainian authorities regarding possible ways to achieve a just peace and to support humanitarian gestures that can help ease tensions.
