Ukraine's Zelensky in Rome to meet Pope Francis

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky is visiting Rome where he will meet political leaders and have an audience with Pope Francis.

"An important visit for approaching victory of Ukraine!" Zelensky tweeted as he landed in the Italian capital.

He will meet Italian PM Giorgia Meloni, President Sergio Mattarella and travel to the Vatican later on Saturday.

A huge security operation has been launched, with over 1,000 police deployed and a no-fly zone over Rome.

Pope Francis has often said that the Vatican stands ready to act as a mediator in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

Saturday will be the first time President Zelensky and Pope Francis have met since Russia invaded Ukraine. The pair did meet in 2020.

The visit comes after Russia carried out a new wave of air strikes on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities overnight.

Three people were injured in the southern city of Mykolaiv and in the western city of Khmelnytsky, critical infrastructure as well as homes and government buildings were hit.

Earlier, Russian- appointed officials in Ukraine's occupied Luhansk region said a Russian parliamentarian and six children were injured in a missile attack on Friday which they blamed on Kyiv.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces say they have made progress near the eastern city of Bakhmut.