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Sunday after his general audience in St. Peter's Square, Pope Francis spoke out about the Russian invasion of Ukraine. And condemned the ‘Russian savagery, monstrosities, and torture.’

The Pope revealed that his charity leader, Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, who brings aid to Ukraine was attacked last week. And shots were fired at the Cardinal and his entourage in Northeastern Ukraine. 

In addition to Krajewski, the group included a Catholic Bishop, a Protestant Bishop, and a Ukrainian soldier.  This was the group's 4th humanitarian mission to bring food and supplies to the embattled citizens.

 In the Cardinals' report to the Pope, he described having to run for his life and take cover. 

Pope points to Russian savagery in the war 

In the Pope’s address, he claims that Ukraine is being ‘martyred.’ And strongly condemns what is happening in Ukraine.

The pope explained that he had spoken with the Polish Cardinal. And the humanitarian group had seen mass graves outside Izyum. 

Francis said, “He (Krajewski) told me about the pain of these people, the savage acts, the monstrosity, the tortured bodies that they find.”

Ukrainian officials claim to have found hundreds of bodies. Some had their hands tied behind their backs with signs of torture. The mass graves in Izyum are just the latest. And destroyed buildings, including Ukrainian people's houses and their cars, litter the streets.

Serhiy Bolvinov, head of the investigative police in the Kharkiv region alleges that 111 civilian bodies were exhumed Wednesday. And four showed signs of torture with others appearing to have been executed.

There have been mass graves discovered in all the territories recaptured from Russian forces. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky claims there is clear evidence of war crimes.

Putin escalation

This is the first time the Pope has spoken out about the war in Ukraine. He has been criticized for not previously calling out Russia. And for suggesting that the Kremlin had been “somehow provoked”.

“Let us unite with these noble and martyred people,” the Pope said.

Russia has denied its troops have committed any war crimes. And on Monday the Kremlin claimed again that since the invasion in February its troops have committed no crimes. The Kremlin says any allegations of abuses in the Kharkiv region, particularly in Izyum are a “lie”.

Putin is doubling down on a full-scale war after Ukraine launched a successful counter-offensive last week. Russia’s military was pushed out of a large area that they had been occupying.