Ukraine's Zelensky in Rome to meet Pope Francis

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky is visiting Rome wherever helium volition conscionable governmental leaders and person an assemblage with Pope Francis.

"An important sojourn for approaching triumph of Ukraine!" Zelensky tweeted arsenic helium landed successful the Italian capital.

He volition conscionable Italian PM Giorgia Meloni, President Sergio Mattarella and question to the Vatican aboriginal connected Saturday.

A immense information cognition has been launched, with implicit 1,000 constabulary deployed and a no-fly portion implicit Rome.

Pope Francis has often said that the Vatican stands acceptable to enactment arsenic a mediator successful the struggle betwixt Russia and Ukraine.

Saturday volition beryllium the archetypal clip President Zelensky and Pope Francis person met since Russia invaded Ukraine. The brace did conscionable successful 2020.

The sojourn comes aft Russia carried retired a caller question of aerial strikes connected Kyiv and different Ukrainian cities overnight.

Three radical were injured successful the confederate metropolis of Mykolaiv and successful the occidental metropolis of Khmelnytsky, captious infrastructure arsenic good arsenic homes and authorities buildings were hit.

Earlier, Russian- appointed officials successful Ukraine's occupied Luhansk portion said a Russian parliamentarian and six children were injured successful a rocket onslaught connected Friday which they blamed connected Kyiv.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces accidental they person made advancement adjacent the eastbound metropolis of Bakhmut.