Pope Francis made his statement in an audience for a group of Ukrainian of children and young adults, visiting the Vatican with Caritas.
The Pope said that Ukraine "has been suffering the effects of war for six months now," and that he wished to see steps towards peace. He emphasized the threat of a nuclear disaster in view of Russian aggression around the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.
However, he also expressed compassion for the "poor girl" Daria Dugina who died on Saturday in a car bomb attack near Moscow. Ukraine has denied involvement in the attack.
Dugina's father is Alexander Dugin, a far right "philosopher" who is described as "Putin's brain". He may have been the intended target of the bomb attack. His involvement with Kremlin policy adds credibility to the view that Russia has become a fascist state, expressed for example by historian Timothy Snyder in the New York Times.
Ukraine's ambassador to the Vatican, Andrij Jurasz, described the Pope's words as "disappointing". "How is it possible to speak of one of the Kremlin's ideologues as an "innnocent victim"?" he asked.
Daria Dugina had also been vocal in her support of Russia. The investigation into her death by the Russian FSB has been closed after only 36 hours, inviting speculation that her death may be part of infighting in the Kremlin.
Sources: PAP, BBC, New York Times
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