Pope Leo XIV held a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, urging a ceasefire in Russian-occupied Oleshky to facilitate humanitarian aid and civilian evacuations. Putin blamed the Kyiv regime for the humanitarian situation, and both sides agreed to cooperate on creating conditions for safety and supply delivery.

Pope Leo XIV spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin, expressing deep concern about the humanitarian situation in Oleshky and calling for a ceasefire to allow aid deliveries and civilian evacuations.

The Kremlin stated that Putin gave comprehensive explanations blaming the Kyiv regime for the humanitarian situation in Oleshky.

The Kremlin press service reported that both sides agreed to cooperate on creating conditions to keep Oleshky residents safe and allow essential supplies to be delivered.

Pope Leo XIV spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin and called for a truce to allow food and medicine to be delivered to Oleshky and the voluntary and safe evacuation of the civilian population.

Pope Leo expressed concern over the worsening humanitarian crisis in Russian-occupied Oleshky in Ukraine's Kherson Oblast during a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Oct. 16, the Vatican said.

The pope called for a local ceasefire to allow humanitarian aid deliveries and the safe evacuation of civilians from the front-line city, where around 2,000 residents remain trapped amid severe shortages of food and medicine.

For example, in Oleshky, under a Russian drone-and-mine siege since the early days of the full-scale invasion, the only hospital has run out of medication, and residents with serious conditions such as strokes cannot get treatment.

The town’s only pharmacy, located at the local hospital, reportedly ran out of essential medications months ago, while power cuts and lack of fuel for generators have further complicated medical care.