1,463 days have passed since Russia invaded Ukraine, and the number of dead, wounded, and missing are staggering.
According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, no one nation had lost so many soldiers in a single conflict since World War II.
It is estimated that around 325,000 Russian soldiers have been killed in combat, and Ukrainian losses are believed to be as high as 140,000.
In September, Rome Reports traveled to Ukraine and saw this: cemeteries are full across the country, and families continue to mourn their losses.
KATERYNA RUDENOK
Mother of a fallen soldier
There is no greater pain than that of a mother who has lost her children, so young. It cannot be described in words, or in anything. The only thing is… I am not the only mother this has happened to.
But there is another feeling that has defined these long four years: the uncertainty surrounding those who are still missing. According to the Ukrainian Ministry of the Interior, around 74,000 people are still unaccounted for.
On the other hand, the number of prisoners of war is one of the most difficult figures to establish. Pope Francis became involved from the beginning with the Holy See even negotiating the release of many of them.
ANDRII YURASH
Ambassador of Ukraine to the Holy See
I believe that no other world leader has mentioned Ukraine as many times as Pope Francis. Every week at the Angelus on Sunday, or at the general audiences. The Pope has always insisted on praying for Ukraine.
Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk
Major Archbishop of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church
I would like to express my gratitude, in my name and on behalf of our entire Church, to the Holy Father, Pope Francis, who personally took part in the release of our Redemptorist Fathers Bohdan and Ivan.”
In fact, just a few days ago, Pope Leo XIV received a new list with 400 prisoners and missing persons to negotiate with Russia for.
For now, the pontiff received this group from Ukraine. In the images you are seeing, Pope Leo listens to the anguish of the wives, mothers, and daughters of Ukrainian soldiers who remain imprisoned.
Alongside this visit are his public messages—a mission shown to the world through the continuous statements of the pontiffs and their tireless appeals for peace.
POPE LEO XIV
For this reason, I strongly renew my appeal: let the weapons fall silent, let the bombings cease, let a ceasefire be reached without delay, and let dialogue be strengthened to open the path toward peace.
Beyond the Pope, there is the Vatican diplomacy typically left unseen by the public. Two figures have been at the forefront from the beginning. On one hand, there is Cardinal Parolin, who even traveled to Ukraine as the Holy See’s Secretary of State.
Alongside him is Cardinal Zuppi, whom Pope Francis entrusted with the peace mission for Ukraine. The cardinal traveled to Ukraine, Russia, China, and the United States, building bridges. If his work stands out for one reason, it is for efforts to return Ukrainian minors who remain in Russia.
Cardinal Matteo Zuppi
Archbishop of Bologna (Italy)
We began by protecting the youngest, as you have recalled. This is the task of the mission entrusted to me by Pope Francis, which is beginning to bear some fruit for those needing to reunite with their families.
In these four years of war, the Holy See has chosen to remain at the side of the victims: alongside the families who wait, alongside those who have not yet returned. And although the conflict is not yet over, this work continues to offer a ray of light in the midst of darkness, with a clear message: human dignity is not negotiable, and peace must find a way forward.
AT
Trans. CRT
