Pope Francis on Wednesday called for “concrete steps” to end the war in Ukraine and avoid the risk of a nuclear disaster at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, Reuters reports.

“I hope that concrete steps will be taken to end the war and avoid the risk of a nuclear disaster in Zaporizhzhia,” the Sovereign Pontiff said at the weekly general audience.

On the day Ukraine marks its independence from Soviet rule in 1991, and six months after Russian troops invaded the country, Pope Francis condemned the war, which he called “madness” and recalled the death of Daria Dugina, the daughter a famous Russian. ultranationalist in a car explosion near Moscow.

“I think of all this cruelty, of all the innocents who pay for the madness of all sides, because war is madness,” the Pope said.

“I think of this unfortunate young woman who died because of a bomb planted under the seat of her car in Moscow,” the Pope added, referring to the murder of Daria Dugina, according to AFP, as quoted by Agerpres.

“Innocents pay for war,” continued the Sovereign Pontiff.

Moscow accused Ukrainian agents of murder, Kyiv denies this accusation.

Pope Francis called arms dealers who profit from war “criminals who kill humanity.”

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