STREET battles erupted again in the heavily contested city of Sievierodonetsk on day 97 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Fighting in Sievierodonetsk, in the Donbas region, was “very fierce”, regional governor Serhiy Gaidai said.
In the last three months, local government estimates report up to 26,000 Ukrainian civilians have been killed since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces.
Thousands of these fatalities were reported in the city of Mariupol, which suffered intense shelling for weeks with estimates of dead between 6000 and 22,000 people.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russians had resumed shelling Kharkiv yesterday.
Pope Francis’ Holy Rosary for peace will be livestreamed from the Basilica of St Mary Major 6pm Rome time, 2am Brisbane time, tonight.
The rosary event aimed at bringing peace in Ukraine and wars worldwide.
It would also coincide with the end of the Marian month of May.
Speaking after the prayer of the Regina Coeli on Sunday, the Pope appealed for shrines across the world to join him in imploring the Queen of Peace for the gift of peace.
“I invite the faithful, families, and communities to join this invocation to obtain from God—through the intercession of the Queen of Peace—the gift which the world awaits.”
Sunday also marked the 56th World Day of Communications.
The message for the day, released in January, focused on the need to listen.
“Listening corresponds to the humble style of God,” Pope Francis said in the message.
“It is the action that allows God to reveal himself as the One who, by speaking, creates man and woman in his image, and by listening recognises them as his partners in dialogue.
“God loves humanity: that is why he addresses his word to them, and why he ‘inclines his ear’ to listen to them.”
