The Vatican’s embassy in Kyiv sustained minor damage during Russian attacks on the Ukrainian capital early Thursday morning, according to a statement released by the embassy. The incident resulted in damage to the main building and service areas of the Apostolic Nunciature, the official Catholic term for the Vatican’s diplomatic mission in Kyiv.
Archbishop Visvaldas Kulbokas, the Vatican’s ambassador to Ukraine, reported witnessing drones flying around the embassy grounds and hearing explosions overnight. The attack caused damage to the embassy’s roof and parking garage. Kulbokas mentioned finding around ten large fragments, indicating that it was likely a drone attack rather than a missile. Fortunately, no one was injured in the incident, although the proximity of the explosions was unsettling.
The airstrikes by Russia in Ukraine coincided with the opening of an international conference on the ongoing war in Rome, where Kyiv received significant aid pledges. Pope Leo had met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy the day before and expressed the Vatican’s readiness to host peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.
The Vatican, which has diplomatic relations with approximately 180 countries and maintains embassies in numerous world capitals, is known for its ambassadors’ commitment to their posts, even during times of conflict, and their rarity in evacuating embassies.
(Reporting by Joshua McElwee, edited by Alvise Armellini and Alexandra Hudson)
