During a massive Russian attack on Kiev on the night of July 10, a building of the Apostolic Nunciature was damaged. A garage, an office building and the roof of the main building were damaged. This was reported by the Apostolic Nuncio to Ukraine, Archbishop Visvaldas Kulbokas, to Vatican News. He said that the nighttime drone attacks were aimed at residential areas: “It is worrying that the drones are aimed at residential areas. I saw with my own eyes and heard with my own ears how some drones flew directly around the nunciature, around residential buildings. I don’t know what they were looking for. We heard several explosions, two of which were very close…”. “Our premises were also damaged: the roof of the main building was damaged, as well as the garage and an office building. We collected about ten rather large pieces of debris, and I think this was from a drone. As for the people, we are all alive and well, we were not injured. But, of course, it is scary when you see explosions so close,” said Archbishop Kulbokas.
Because of the shelling, the employees of the Vatican diplomatic mission in Kiev were unable to go to work, and the night was another sleepless one. The newly appointed bishop of Kamianets-Podilsk by the Pope, Monsignor Eduard Kava, was also in the nunciature building at that time.
The nuncio also emphasizes that the shelling of Kiev has been ongoing since the very beginning of the Russian army’s entry into the country, but its intensity has increased significantly since the end of May, and this has been the case throughout June and early July.
On the night of July 10, Kiev was subjected to a massive combined attack by Russian drones and ballistic missiles. Two people are known to have died and nineteen injured, including a 17-year-old girl.
