Pope Leo XIV has voiced his 'great sadness' after Russia appeared to reject calls for a Christmas Day truce in Ukraine, as a major aerial assault killed at least three people and cut power to regions facing freezing temperatures.
Pope's Plea for Peace and Russian Rejection
Speaking from his residence near Rome on Tuesday, the Pontiff renewed his call for a global 'day of peace' on Christmas Day. He expressed profound disappointment that 'Russia has apparently rejected a request for a truce.' Moscow has consistently argued that any ceasefire would only provide a military advantage to Kyiv.
'I am renewing my request to all people of good will to respect a day of peace – at least on the feast of the birth of our saviour,' Pope Leo told reporters. He added a broader hope for '24 hours of peace in the whole world.'
Massive Russian Assault Before Christmas
The Pope's plea came against the backdrop of a severe escalation. Russia launched more than 650 drones and over 30 missiles into Ukraine in an attack that began overnight and continued into Tuesday morning. The strike, which occurred two days before Christmas, resulted in the deaths of three people, one of whom was a four-year-old child.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the timing, stating on Telegram: 'A strike before Christmas, when people want to be with their families, at home, in safety … Putin cannot accept the fact that we must stop killing.' The attack caused significant damage to energy infrastructure, plunging several regions into darkness during a period of intense cold.
In response, Ukrainian forces struck Russian oil and gas infrastructure, hitting a petrochemical plant in the Stavropol region. Regional governor Vladimir Vladimirov reported a large fire at the industrial site.
Battlefield Developments and Wider Threats
On the ground, the Ukrainian military confirmed on Tuesday that it had withdrawn troops from the eastern town of Siversk in the Donetsk region after fierce battles. The move was made 'to preserve the lives of our soldiers and the combat capability of our units,' with fighting reported to be continuing on the town's outskirts.
Separately, a grave warning was issued about the potential for a new environmental catastrophe. Sergiy Tarakanov, director of the defunct Chernobyl nuclear plant, told AFP that another Russian strike could collapse the site's internal radiation shelter. He warned that a direct hit could cause a 'mini-earthquake' and that full restoration could take up to four years.
The sombre mood in Ukraine was captured in images from Lviv, where on the day before Christmas Eve, the graves of fallen soldiers at the Lychakiv military cemetery were decorated with Christmas trees and New Year ornaments—a poignant reminder of the human cost of the conflict now in its 1,400th day.
Diplomatic Moves and Security Incidents
These developments followed weekend talks in Miami involving Donald Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff, who held separate meetings with Russian and Ukrainian representatives. While Witkoff described the discussions as 'constructive,' no major breakthroughs were reported.
President Zelenskyy said he was briefed on the talks on Tuesday and noted that 'several draft documents have now been prepared,' including an outline for ending the war and plans for postwar security and reconstruction.
In Russia, authorities opened a criminal case after an incident in southern Moscow injured traffic police officers. Telegram channels with law enforcement sources reported several explosions in an area where a Russian general, Lt Gen Fanil Sarvarov, was killed by a car bomb on Monday. Russian investigators are examining possible involvement by Ukrainian special services.
