The commander of the 36th Separate Marine Brigade, Major Serhiy Volyna, wrote a letter to Pope Francis to help save the people of Mariupol. The major passed the letter to "Ukrainian Pravda"
"Your Holiness, Pope Francis! I am not a Catholic, I am Orthodox. I believe in God and I know that light always overcomes darkness. I have not seen your appeals to the world and I have not read all your last statements, I have been fighting for more than 50 days in full surroundings and all I have time for is a fierce battle for every meter of the city surrounded by the enemy.
I am a warrior. I am an officer who took an oath of allegiance to his country. And I'm ready to fight to the end. Despite the overwhelming force of the enemy, despite the inhumane conditions on the battlefield, constant artillery and rocket fire, and lack of water, food, and medicine. You have probably seen a lot in your life. But I am sure that we have never seen what is happening in Mariupol. Because that's what the hell looks like on earth," the letter reads.
The Marine also added that he would not be able to describe all the horrors he sees in Mariupol every day due to lack of time.
"Women with children and babies live in bunkers at the factory. In hunger and cold. Every day under the sight of enemy aircraft. The wounded die every day because there is no medicine, no water, no food." he said.
At the end of the letter, the Marine asked for help.
"The time has come when prayers are not the only thing. Help save them. After the bombing of the drama theater, no one has faith in the Russian occupiers. Bring the truth to the world, evacuate people and save their lives from Satan, who wants to burn all living creatures"