Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, the pope's special envoy for Ukraine, visited the Zakhid-1 prisoner-of-war camp near Lviv, where detainees from 53 nations who fought for the Russian military are held. The visit to the facility, close to the Polish border, was announced by Ukrainian ambassador to the Holy See Andrii Yurash.
Zuppi, president of the Italian Episcopal Conference, told detainees that Pope Leo prays for an end to the war and their safe return home. Among the prisoners are Russians alongside Belarusian, Congolese, Korean, Peruvian, Nigerian, and Filipino nationals. He distributed gifts from the pontiff including a keychain bearing the papal coat of arms, a prayer card, and an image of the pope.
The four-day mission, running 13–16 July, will continue with a stop in Kyiv.