By Linda Bordoni

“The Holy Father has received the letter of the mayor of the Ukrainian capital and is close to the suffering of the city, its people, to those who have been forced to flee, and to those who are called to govern it.”

Answering questions put to him by journalists, Holy See Press Office Director, Matteo Bruni confirmed the news that the Pope has received a letter from Vitali Klitschko.

The mayor of the besieged capital city of Ukraine has imposed a 35-hour curfew as Russian strikes intensify.

The Pope, Bruni said, is praying for the protection of Kyiv citizens and reiterates his appeal on Sunday that deplores "the barbarity of the killing of children, innocents and unarmed civilians and calls for an end to the unacceptable armed aggression, before it reduces cities to cemeteries."