The Russian military said on Monday it had thwarted multiple attacks by Ukrainian drones on Russian territory.
The Russian Defense Ministry said its air defense systems destroyed four drones over the Bryansk region, two over the Orel region and another Ukrainian drone over the Belgorod region.
Ukraine’s Defense Ministry issued an alert on Monday warning of Russian air strikes in the Donetsk, Sumy, Dnipropetrovsk and Kharkiv regions.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky indirectly criticized Pope Francis’ recent remarks that Ukraine should have the “courage” to negotiate with Russia two years after Russia invaded the country.
In a video address Sunday night, Zelensky thanked Ukrainian religious leaders who are on the front lines “protecting life and humanity” and showing support through “prayer, dialogue and action.”
“This is the Church,” he said, “with the people. Not two thousand five thousand meters away – somewhere, look for virtual meditation [sic] Between those who want to survive and those who want to destroy you,” referring to the pope’s comments in an interview with Swiss broadcaster RSI.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba also criticized the pope’s remarks on social media, saying: “Our flag is yellow and blue. This is the flag by which we live, die and win. We will never raise any other flag” and vowed to “never” “surrender.
Kuleba called on the pope to “stand on the side of justice” and not to put the opposing sides “on the same footing and call it ‘negotiation.'”
He also thanked the pope for his “continuous prayers for peace” and said Kyiv hoped the clergy would visit Ukraine.
Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni responded to the criticism, saying the pope urged “a cessation of hostilities (and) the courage to negotiate a truce” rather than an outright surrender for Ukraine.
Francis was asked in an interview with Swiss broadcaster RSI last month about the debate between those who advocate peace talks in Ukraine and those who believe those talks would legitimize Russian aggression.
“I think the strongest people are the ones who look at the situation, think about the people, have white-flag courage and negotiate,” Francis said.
Cardinal Timothy Dolan warned on Sunday against taking the pope’s remarks out of context.
“It’s always difficult until you read the whole text. Because when the pope says something, it’s very subtle,” Dolan said, adding that the pope suggested dialogue rather than retelling. He said the Holy See later explained the pope’s comments.
“So the people of Ukraine maintain your courage because the world admires you for it,” he said.
Archbishop Svyatoslav Shevchuk, head of Ukraine’s Greek Catholic Church, also said on Sunday that Ukrainians were not considering surrender.
In an interview with VOA Ukraine, Shevchuk said he was probably “shocked” by the pope’s remarks, like all Ukrainians, but he was relieved by the Vatican’s clarification that the pope’s words really meant “preparation for negotiations.” tone.
Kyiv’s allies Poland’s Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski and Ukraine’s ambassador to the Vatican Andrii Yurash both used World War II analogies to condemn the pope’s remarks, while a Ukrainian Christian church Only the country’s determined resistance to Russian aggression has prevented mass killings of civilians, a leader said on Sunday.
“For balance, encourage [Russian President Vladimir] Does Putin have the courage to withdraw troops from Ukraine? Peace will come immediately, without negotiation. ” Sikorski responded in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
In another article, Sikorsky compared those calling for negotiations while “depriving (Ukraine) of the means of self-defense” to the “appeasement” of Adolf Hitler by European leaders before World War II.
Zelensky said that while he wanted peace, he would not give up any territory. The Kremlin has ruled out peace talks on terms set by Ukraine.
Information for this report was provided in part by Reuters, The Associated Press and AFP.
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