The cardinal's trip to Moscow is to "evaluate further efforts to promote family reunification of Ukrainian children and the exchange of prisoners, with a view to achieving the much-hoped-for peace," according to the Vatican.

Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni confirmed on Oct. 14 that the Italian cardinal began a visit to Moscow on Monday after Russia's ministry of foreign affairs published a photo of Zuppi shaking hands with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

Pope Francis asked Zuppi to serve as a papal envoy to "initiate paths of peace" between Russia and Ukraine in May 2023.

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The Pope expressed particular concern for Ukrainian children impacted by the war. He noted that many had "lost the ability to smile" according to a statement from the Holy See Press Office.

This meeting marks the fourth time the Pope and President Zelensky have met. Previous discussions occurred in May 2023 and February 2020 before the full-scale Russian invasion.

According to the Holy See Press Office statement, the talks were devoted "to the state of the war and the humanitarian situation in Ukraine" and "the ways that could put an end to it, leading to a just and stable peace in the country".

In a post on X following the meeting, Pope Francis said "All nations have the right to exist in peace and security. Their territories must not be attacked, and their sovereignty must be respected and guaranteed through peace and dialogue. War and hatred bring only death and destruction for everyone".

Very difficult undertaking

President Zelenskyy revealed they discussed the repatriation of Ukrainian soldiers, civilians and journalists held in Russia. He provided the Vatican with a list of names.

Zelenskyy said "This is a very difficult undertaking and that is why we need special help, including the efforts of the Vatican".

However, some in the West have expressed doubts about the role of the Vatican as a mediator. Critics suggest the Pope has been too neutral and, at times, has not sufficiently defended Kyiv.

Despite these concerns, global efforts for peace including those by major powers have failed. Yet the Pope has had some success in humanitarian efforts, particularly in securing the release of Ukrainian children taken to Russia.

While some call these efforts "too few", they offer a glimpse of hope in a conflict where peace remains elusive.

Sources

Vatican News

La Croix International

Katholisch

While it was earlier rumoured that Pope Francis might address the assembly, the pontiff was in the middle of his 46th Apostolic Journey abroad, to Luxembourg and Belgium.

Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED) — an independent organisation collecting data on violent conflict — estimates that one in seven people globally has been exposed to conflict in 2024. ACLED also reported a 15% increase in political violence incidents during the last 12 months, a development that Cardinal Parolin said has left the Holy See "deeply concerned."

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However, in a more contentious move, the law also banned religious entities "affiliated" with Moscow. This will affect mainly parishes of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) and the nominally independent Ukrainian branch of the Russian Orthodox Church which, despite various name and governance changes, is still formally subservient to the patriarch in Moscow.

An expert commission that will be appointed by the government to implement the new law could deem the UOC's parishes and priests insufficiently disentangled from Moscow.

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Archbishop Ettore Balestrero, the Vatican's Permanent Observer to the United Nations in Geneva, pushed for the move, highlighting the moral implications of allowing machines to make life-and-death decisions without human oversight.

In an address on 26th August, Balestrero emphasised the Vatican's concern over the ethical dimensions of using AI-driven "lethal autonomous weapons" (LAWs) in warfare.

"It is profoundly distressing" Balestrero emphasised, "that, adding to the suffering caused by armed conflicts, the battlefields are also becoming testing grounds for more and more sophisticated weapons."

In particular, he insisted that autonomous weapons systems can never be considered "morally responsible entities".

"The human person, endowed with reason, possesses a unique capacity for moral judgement and ethical decision-making that cannot be replicated by any set of algorithms, no matter how complex" Balestrero said.

Weapons restrictions

The Vatican's push comes as Josep Borrell, the EU's top foreign policy official, advocated for fewer restrictions on Ukraine's use of weapons supplied by EU nations.

"The weaponry that we are providing to Ukraine has to have full use, and the restrictions have to be lifted in order for the Ukrainians to be able to target the places where Russia is bombing them. Otherwise, the weaponry is useless" Borrell told reporters.

While traditional weaponry remains predominant in the Ukraine conflict, there is a growing emphasis on AI-driven systems.

Reports suggest Ukraine has become a testing ground for new technologies including autonomous drones. These systems require human intervention to lock onto targets, but experts warn that future advancements could diminish this role, raising significant ethical and safety concerns.

Similarly, Israel has employed autonomous systems in its ongoing conflict in Gaza. However, they use technologies capable of identifying and suggesting targets without human input.

Israel reportedly uses an AI system called "Habsora" to identify bombing targets inside Gaza. It is said to be capable of doing so at a rate much higher than manual detection.

In that context, Balestrero distinguished between a "choice" and a "decision", arguing that the latter is a human act that involves weighing ethical considerations such as human dignity.

"No machine should ever make the decision to take a human life" Balestrero declared.

Sources

Crux Now

CathNews New Zealand

The archbishop wants more international support in areas where the Ukrainian government struggles to provide adequate resources.

Archbishop Kulbokas highlighted three critical areas of concern during a video conference organised by Caritas Lithuania on 20 August.

Two involve aiding prisoners of war, including children and civilians deported to Russia, and providing support to those returning to Ukraine, many of whom have suffered severe abuse including sexual violence.

"This area is in the most acute need of the Catholic humanitarian efforts, like Caritas and their volunteers, because the Ukrainian government simply lacks adequate resources to tackle this problem" said Kulbokas, addressing the conference from Kyiv.

The third involves the importance of "monitoring the field of information".

"The Ukrainian people, traumatised by war and unceasing stress, can sometimes respond inadequately to the providers of humanitarian aid" he said. The archbishop added "Our priority should be not to judge them but prevent the attempts to frame such incidents as the reasons to cut the aid to Ukraine".

Harrowing accounts

Archbishop Kulbokas revealed that around 3,000 prisoners of war have been released through exchanges mediated by countries such as Turkey, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates at the request of Russian negotiators. The Holy See's efforts also facilitated the release of ten civilians including two priests on 28 June.

The Archbishop shared harrowing accounts from some of the released prisoners who described brutal conditions including forced standing for hours, inadequate food and severe beatings.

"All the ex-prisoners whom I have talked to said they'd rather be dead [than be in prison]" Kulbokas reported.

None of the released prisoners had been allowed visits by the representatives of the Red Cross, so Russian claims to the contrary are lies Kulbokas stated.

The nuncio earned respect among the diplomatic corps by remaining in Kyiv when the invasion began in February 2022. He said this decision depended on courage and prayer.

"If we take our potential seriously, the impossible becomes possible" he said.

Sources

The Tablet

Redemptorist Fathers Ivan Levitsky and Bohdan Geleta, who served at the Church of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos in Berdyansk, were among ten prisoners returned to Ukrainian authorities.

Zelenskyy announced the news on June 28 on his Facebook page.

"We have managed to free 10 more of our people from Russian captivity, despite all the difficulties," wrote Zelenskyy, who recognised "the Holy See's efforts to bring these people home."

Moments after Zelenskyy's announcement, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church posted the news on its website, along with images of the two priests taken during their imprisonment by Russia.

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The number of registered religious organisations has climbed by over 3,000, according to Kyiv's State Service on Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience.

The increase brings the total number of religious organisations in Ukraine to 36,195.

A key change is the movement of around 1,000 parishes from the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU).

Despite this shift, the Moscow-aligned church retains more religious organisations, with 29% compared to the OCU's 22%.

However, these statistics account primarily for organisational structures, not individual identification or church attendance.

A 2023 survey by the Razumkov Center reveals that only 5.6% of Ukrainians identify with the Moscow Patriarchate while 42.2% align with the OCU.

Additionally, 11% of Ukrainians identify with the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and nearly 40% affiliate with other Christian denominations or none.

This data suggests a decline in the influence of the Moscow church, with its hierarchy maintaining parishes that few attend.

Christian denomination growth

The real religious growth has been in other Christian denominations, particularly Roman Catholicism and Protestantism, reflecting a broader religious diversification in Ukraine.

The Ukrainian government has supported the OCU and actively opposed the UOC-MP which has been more vocal in its support for President Vladimir Putin's war against Ukraine.

This state backing has contributed to the OCU's growth and the shifting religious landscape in Ukraine.

The Kremlin views the independence of the Kyiv church as a direct threat to its influence.

Moscow is particularly concerned about the spread of Roman Catholicism and Protestantism, as these denominations are seen as more antagonistic to Russian interests.

This concern reflects historical fears such as celebrating Prince Alexander Nevsky's alliance with the Mongol Horde against the Roman Catholic crusades.

Commentators like Vladislav Inozemtsev argue that Putin's efforts to reassert control are unintentionally causing an ethno-social crisis.

The changing religious identities in Ukraine signify a fundamental shift that could affect Russia's own religious and state dynamics.

Sources

Eurasia Review

CathNews New Zealand

"Please. Countries at war, all of them, stop the war. Look to negotiate. Look for peace," Pope Francis told "CBS Evening News" anchor Norah O'Donnell during the hourlong interview.

"A negotiated peace is better than a war without end," the leader of the Roman Catholic Church said.

Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 that has destroyed infrastructure and killed civilians. According to the United Nations, the war has killed more than 10,000 civilians and injured nearly 20,000 others. Millions have been displaced, and Russia now occupies 26% of its neighbouring country.

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Francis appealed anew for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza and the release of hostages taken from Israel on Oct 7 by Hamas. Praying for the families of the seven World Central Kitchen workers killed, he called for humanitarian aid to reach Gaza's people and for all efforts to prevent the conflict from spreading.

At the end of his general audience, Francis also showed tourists and pilgrims in St Peter's Square the rosary and camouflaged New Testament book that a 23-year-old Ukrainian soldier named Oleksandre had with him when he was killed in the eastern city of Avdijevka.

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He does this regarding reconciliation and peace in the world, especially in Eastern Europe.

For example, when he sends Cardinal Matteo Zuppi of Bologna - a leading figure from the Sant'Egidio Community who is skilled in peaceful conflict resolution - to meet with leaders of major powers.

Or when he urges influential states and non-state actors to pressure belligerents to cease fighting.

These initiatives, among others, demonstrate Francis' ability to facilitate reconciliation between opposing parties.

But when it comes to geopolitics, the pope is not infallible.

Geopolitics is different

When the pope asks the people of Ukraine to recognise their defeat, based on the failure of their counteroffensive and their obvious demographic and military inferiority compared to the forces deployed by Russia, Francis steps out of his role as an impartial mediator.

Indeed, his political realism seems to burden the victims more than the perpetrators of an invasion that was committed in total violation of international law.

Moreover, by using clumsy and highly undiplomatic wording - i.e. recommending Ukrainians to "have the courage to raise the white flag" and negotiate with the Russians, he demonstrates something else.

He shows with words surely exceeding his intentions, a more cynical than reasonable approach to the realities experienced by a terrified population living constantly under bombardments.

A "disconnect" in the pope's analysis

Through his statements recorded by a Swiss broadcaster in early February, the pope gives the impression that the die is already cast, and that Ukraine's weakness in terms of soldiers and weapons condemns it to inevitable defeat.

It's no wonder that his words were outright rejected by the country's civilian and religious leaders.

They received it as a sign of defiance and abandonment on his part - a humiliation. Especially since Francis expresses no reservation or clear criticism against the Russian invaders who shamelessly use and abuse their supremacy in the air and on the ground.

Analysts of this war and other military specialists have deemed the pope's recent intervention as a "disconnect".

As one French general commented, "With this pope, we are far from the 'do not be afraid!' of John Paul II in the face of the Soviet empire!"

After trying to keep David and Goliath at an equal distance for a long time, Francis is now bluntly urging David to throw away his slingshot.

A lost war?

These Jesuit pope's surprising words are also unbalanced.

On the one hand, they imply that Ukraine has already lost the war when it seems to be settling into an indeterminate duration.

There is talk in this regard of a kind of "Vietnamisation" of the conflict.

It would be subject to reinforcements in ammunition and possibly troops by a coalition of European countries who reject any possibility of victory by Vladimir Putin's imperialist Russia.

On the other hand, the pope seems to downplay the expansionist threats of the Kremlin leader, who has become increasingly less concealed and is now targeting Moldova and the Baltic States, in particular.

In fact, the pope's statements seem to coincide with Putin's agenda.

That agenda involves taking advantage of the failure of the Ukrainian counteroffensive and the weariness of Western support to impose the idea of a ceasefire and then open negotiations in a power relationship that is currently favourable to the Russian president.

A peace that profits Goliath

Power is the only language Vladimir Putin listens to.

Apparently, it's language that the pope's ears cannot bear since he prefers peace. How could it be otherwise for someone who took his papal name from St. Francis of Assisi?

Nevertheless, if true peace has a price, it must be that of justice. It cannot be made for the benefit of Goliath, the aggressor, and to the detriment of David, the one who was attacked!

In an article published in March 2015 in L'Osservatore Romano, the Argentine pope was describes as a "Zorro of the weak".

He earned this nickname due to the solidarity that he rendered to often-forgotten victims of injustice, violence, and modern forms of slavery.

This comparison with Zorro, the legendary righter of wrongs, is now undermined by the pope's diplomatic clumsiness towards a people that been fighting for its freedom the last two years.

As Francis begins the 12th year of the papacy he was elected to on March 13, 2013, what does this incident tell us?

Perhaps that this Latin American pope - who was so taciturn when he was the cardinal-archbishop of Buenos Aires but has been quite talkative during his time on the Chair of St. Peter - lacks the prudence of Paul VI and the firmness of John Paul II.

What will likely remain of this unfortunate blunder? The memory of useless words and a missed opportunity.

To borrow an expression cherished by Francis, that of encouraging the Ukrainian people not to let their dignity be stolen.

This is the condition for a just peace because Goliath attacked David.

• First published in La Croix. Republished with permission.
• Michel Cool is an awarding-winning religious affairs journalist and author who writes regularly for La Croix.

Many perceive the statement as a call for Ukraine to surrender in its conflict with Russia.

In an interview recorded last month with Swiss broadcaster RSI, Francis advocated for peace talks brokered by international powers.

"I think that the strongest one is the one who looks at the situation, thinks about the people and has the courage of the white flag and negotiates" Francis said.

However, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba promptly responded, affirming Ukraine's unwavering commitment to the colours of his country's flag and rejecting any notion of surrender.

"Our flag is blue and yellow. We live, die and win under it. We will not raise other flags" Kuleba posted on Sunday on the social media platform X.

Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski echoed this sentiment. "How about, for balance, encouraging Putin to have the courage to withdraw his army from Ukraine? Peace would immediately ensue without the need for negotiations."

Courage of negotiations

However, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni clarified that the Pope's intention was to support "a stop to hostilities" and "a truce achieved with the courage of negotiations," rather than advocating for Ukrainian surrender.

Bruni said that the journalist interviewing Francis used the term "white flag" in the question that prompted the controversial remarks.

Francis emphasised that negotiations should never be perceived as a sign of weakness but rather as a pathway to peace.

"When you see that you are defeated, that things are not going well, you have to have the courage to negotiate" he said.

While the Pope's comments have sparked debate, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has reiterated that any initiative in peace negotiations must come from Russia, the aggressor.

Francis has endeavoured to maintain the Vatican's traditional diplomatic neutrality throughout the conflict.

His apparent sympathy towards the Russian rationale for invading Ukraine has however raised eyebrows. The reaction was notable when he referenced NATO's eastward expansion contributing to regional tensions.

During Sunday's Angelus prayer, Francis said he was praying "for peace in the tormented Ukraine and in the Holy Land."

"Let the hostilities which cause immense suffering among the civilian population cease as soon as possible" he said.

Sources

AP News

AP News

CathNews New Zealand

Russia launched close to 75 Iranian-made Shahed drones at Ukraine's capital as Ukrainians marked Holodomor Remembrance Day.

The day commemorates the 7 million to 10 million victims of an artificial famine waged by Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin from 1932-1933 against Ukrainians.

No fatalities were reported, but five individuals were injured.

The assault was Russia's largest drone attack on Kyiv since the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Ukraine's forces said 74 of the drones had been successfully eliminated. Kyiv remained under an air raid alert lasting more than six hours.

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In a message sent to Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences Cardinal Peter Turkson, the condemnation comes after a Russian drone attack in Lviv, Ukraine, obliterated a Caritas-Spes-owned warehouse containing humanitarian aid.

The secretary general of Caritas Internationalis, Alistair Dutton, said the Russian attack destroyed more than 330 tons of humanitarian aid for Ukrainians.

"The mission's employees were unharmed," the head of Caritas-Spes Ukraine, Father Vyacheslav Grynevych, said "but the warehouse with everything inside burned to the ground, including food, hygiene kits, generators and clothes."

Caritas Poland had just sent aid packages to support 600 families in Ukraine. The charity has pledged additional support for families in need.

This incident highlights a disturbing trend, as humanitarian warehouses have increasingly become targets for Russian forces in their ongoing conflict with Ukraine.

In his September 19th message, the Pope expressed deep concern about the ethical problems of using conventional weapons in contemporary warfare. He emphasised that such weapons, which should be utilised only for defensive purposes, must never be directed towards civilian targets.

"It is my hope that sustained reflection on this issue will lead to a consensus that such weapons, with their immense destructive power, will not be employed in a way that foreseeably causes ‘superfluous injury or unnecessary suffering,' to use the words of the St Petersburg Declaration," Francis said.

Cardinal Krajewski in Lviv

The Dicastery for the Service of Charity announced in a September 20 press release that Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, the papal almoner, is in Ukraine this week.

He is there to open the House of Refuge "in the name of Pope Francis, as a sign of support and closeness to the many people who were forced to flee because of the conflict, bringing the apostolic blessing."

The new house of refuge is for displaced mothers and children.

The Vatican partially financed and built the shelter during the conflict with Russia.

Sources

CruxNow

Catholic News Agency

CathNews New Zealand

Ukraine's Eastern Rite Catholic bishops echoed Podolyak's comments.

Podolyak firmly rejected any notion of the Vatican mediating in the ongoing Russian war in Ukraine and hinted at possible Russian influence within the Vatican bank.

Podolyak's criticism stems from Pope Francis' remarks during a video conference with Russian Catholic youth in St Petersburg, where the Pope praised the legacy of "Great Mother Russia."

Despite the Pope's subsequent clarification that he was referring to culture rather than imperialism, Podolyak remained unconvinced.

He argued that the Pope's position in effect supports Russia's actions in Ukraine, which are causing harm to Ukrainian citizens.

Furthermore, Podolyak suggested that financial considerations may be influencing the Pope's stance, hinting at potential Russian investments in the Vatican bank.

However, no specific evidence was provided to support this claim.

Disappointment and pain

While Pope Francis has expressed solidarity with the Ukrainian people throughout the conflict, he has refrained from directly condemning Russia or President Vladimir Putin.

This approach has not only drawn criticism from Ukrainian officials but also disappointed members of his Catholic flock in Ukraine.

The bishops of Ukraine's Greek Catholic Church, the largest of the Eastern churches in communion with Rome, have voiced concerns about the Pope's statements. They expressed disappointment and pain over the Pope's remarks.

The bishops believe the comments are being exploited by Russian propaganda to justify its actions in Ukraine.

The bishops' statement said they told the pope that certain statements and gestures of "the Holy See and Your Holiness are painful and difficult for the Ukrainian people, who are currently bleeding in the struggle for their dignity and independence."

The statement quoted the pope as telling the bishops: "The fact that you doubted whom the pope is with was particularly painful for the Ukrainian people. I want to assure you of my solidarity with you and constant prayerful closeness. I am with the Ukrainian people."

Sources

Crux Now

AP News

Reuters

CathNews New Zealand

The pope's comments were made during a video conference with Russian Catholic youth, where his comments were misconstrued as an endorsement of present-day Russian aggression in Ukraine.

Matteo Bruni, the Vatican spokesperson, emphasised that Pope Francis had aimed to laud the positive aspects of Russia's spiritual and cultural history rather than endorse contemporary Russian imperialism.

Francis "certainly didn't want to exalt imperialistic logic or government personalities who were cited to indicate certain historic periods of reference," Bruni said in a statement.

The Pope's accolades for historical figures like Peter and Catherine the Great were meant to highlight Russia's cultural heritage and its distinctive "Russian-ness."

In a prepared text, Pope Francis encouraged the young Russian audience to be champions of peace and reconciliation. However, he stressed the importance of remembering their heritage during his impromptu remarks.

"Never forget your inheritance. You are the heirs of the great Russia. The great Russia of the saints, of the kings, of the great Russia of Peter the Great, of Catherine II, that great imperial Russia, cultivated, with so much culture and humanity," Francis said, according to the video clip.

"…You are the heirs of the great Mother Russia, go forward. And thank you. Thank you for your way of being, for your way of being Russian."

The Vatican didn't publish the comments, but they were shared on social media following Francis' video conference with a Catholic youth encounter in St Petersburg.

Pope's comments praised and criticised

Dmitry Peskov, the spokesperson for Russian President Vladimir Putin, praised Pope Francis' nuanced understanding of Russian history. Peskov also noted that Russian educational institutions were actively engaging in efforts to educate younger generations about their heritage.

The head of Ukraine's Greek Catholic Church, His Beatitude Sviatoslav Shevchuk, registered strong dissatisfaction with the Pope's statements, interpreting them as an endorsement of nationalism and Russian imperialism that have contributed to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

Shevchuk's response highlighted the association between the Pope's comments and the distressing implications for the war-torn region.

The Vatican's embassy in Kyiv promptly distanced itself from these interpretations, affirming that Pope Francis did not advocate imperialistic ideas. The embassy's statement emphasised the Pope's consistent stance against imperialism and colonialism in all forms and contexts.

This incident isn't the first time Pope Francis has faced criticism for his comments on the Ukraine conflict. The Pope has previously sparked both outrage and agreement with his spontaneous remarks.

On one occasion, Francis appeared to rationalise Russia's actions by highlighting NATO's expansion towards Russia's borders.

Conversely, the pontiff also drew Moscow's ire when he appeared to place blame on ethnic minorities rather than Russian forces for the severity of the conflict.

Sources

Religion News

CNBC

CathNews New Zealand

"A group of armed special forces, cloaked in masks and wielding weapons, encircled the Roman Catholic chapel," the bishop said, describing the dramatic event.

With determined force, they "broke down the door and broke into the chapel and began a search," Bishop Szyrokoradiuk said.

Russians, who are occupying the region, declared that their actions constituted a deliberate operation designed to counteract terrorist activities. Russia occupies Crimea and parts of the Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, Mykolayiv and Zaporizhzhya oblasts, or regions.

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According to the Bishops' Conference website's media blog, the delegation from the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference (ACBC) made the pastoral visit to several Ukrainian cities on 8-11 August in an expression of solidarity with the country's people.

The delegation consisted of Archbishop Peter A Comensoli of Melbourne; Archbishop Julian Porteous of Hobart; Bishop Karol Kulczycki SDS of Port Pirie; Father Simon Cjuk, vicar general of the Ukrainian Catholic Church in Australia; Annie Carrett, chancellor of the Archdiocese of Melbourne; and was guided and accompanied by Father Adam Ziółkowski SDS.

The delegation visited Lviv, Kyiv, Bucha and Irpin, the last two having been sites of horrendous destruction and atrocities against human life, and met with Church leaders, families, civil leaders, and soldiers.

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Shrapnel tore her left leg off above the knee. She clutched her severed thigh bone and watched medics place her severed leg into the vehicle that took her to a hospital.

"I was holding the bone in my hands … there and then I realised that this was the end, that my life would never be the same again," Danilkina said.

Danilkina is one of between 20,000 and 50,000 Ukrainians who have lost one or more limbs since the start of the war, according to previously undisclosed estimates by prosthetics firms, doctors and charities.

The actual figure could be higher because it takes time to register patients after they undergo the procedure. Some are only amputated weeks or months after being wounded.

And with Kyiv's counteroffensive under way, the war may be entering a more brutal phase.

By comparison, some 67,000 Germans and 41,000 Britons had to have amputations during the course of World War I, when the procedure was often the only one available to prevent death.

Fewer than 2,000 US veterans of the Afghanistan and Iraq invasions had amputations.

Kyiv has kept precise casualty statistics secret so as not to demoralise the population.

But even as a rough estimate, the number casts light on the staggering human cost of Russia's 17-month onslaught — a cost that will linger for decades as a generation of invalids returns to civilian life.

Germany's Ottobock, the world's largest prosthetics manufacturer, which is working with Kyiv to help amputees, estimates the number of amputees at about 50,000 based on data from the government and medical partners.

At the lower end, the Houp Foundation, a Kyiv-based charity, puts the number of serious injuries caused by the war at 200,000.

About 10 per cent of serious injuries typically require amputations, according to the Foundation.

Such numbers reflect how Russia wages the war, with heavy use of mines and artillery, missile and drone attacks targeting soldiers and civilians alike.

"My grandfather founded our company in 1919 to help … German soldiers returning from World War I wounded by artillery fire, who lost their arms, legs or eyesight — this is exactly what we see in Ukraine," said Hans Georg Nader, Ottobock's chairman.

Danilkina had five operations before receiving an artificial leg from Ottobock with the help of Superhumans, a charitable foundation based in the western city of Lviv.

She has since turned 20 and has been documenting her recovery on social media under the nickname Unbreakable Rusya.

Last Monday, she received a more sophisticated leg called Genium X3 developed by Ottobock with the US military that allows users to easily climb stairs or even walk backward.

Denys Kryvenko, a 24-year-old former steelworker from Kropyvnytskiy in central Ukraine, was drafted last year and lost both legs and his left arm in the battle for Bakhmut in January.

Before the injury he was 6 feet 1 inch tall but now stands at 5 feet 6 inches on his artificial legs.

Both Kryvenko and Danilkina now work with Superhumans to help other amputees.

Their social-network activism and media appearances have turned them into symbols of Ukrainian suffering and resilience.

Making enough artificial limbs, some of which cost over €50,000, isn't the main challenge: The bigger bottleneck is expert staff to care for amputees, each of who needs a tailor-made prosthetic, Nader said.

Kyiv pays up to €20,000 per military amputee but civilians often struggle to afford treatment.

Ottobock grants a discount for Ukrainians and provides free training for doctors and technicians there.

Still, many patients must rely on charities to obtain prostheses. Continue reading

• • Bojan Pancevski is The Wall Street Journal's Germany correspondent. He also covers Europe at large across major themes.

"Let us not cease to pray for beleaguered Ukraine, where the war is destroying everything, even grain," he said after praying the Angelus with people gathered in St Peter's Square on July 30, 2023.

"This is a grave offense to God, because grain is his gift to feed humanity; and the cry of millions of brothers and sisters who suffer hunger rises to heaven," he said.

"I appeal to my brothers, the authorities of the Russian Federation, that the Black Sea Initiative may be restored and grain may be transported safely," he said.

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