Naked Protester Climbs Altar Inside St. Peter’s Basilica Over Ukraine War

A man stripped completely naked and climbed onto the altar inside St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican in an apparent protest against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

According to Reuters, citing a Vatican source, the man had a message painted across his back calling for the children of Ukraine to be saved. Reports also indicated he had scratched his own body with his fingernails before climbing onto the altar, with some Italian media outlets describing him as emotionally disturbed.

The incident unfolded shortly before the basilica closed for the day. Vatican security officers quickly intervened and turned the man over to Italian police.

Photos of the unusual protest, taken by tourists inside the church, were widely published by Italian news organizations.

The protest centered on allegations that thousands of Ukrainian children have been taken from occupied areas and transported into Russia or Russian-controlled territory since the war began.

Ukraine’s National Information Bureau estimates that roughly 16,000 children have been removed, while some human rights organizations believe the actual number could be significantly higher. Russia disputes those claims, saying the children were evacuated from dangerous areas or were orphans in need of protection.

The issue drew international attention when the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin, accusing him of responsibility for the unlawful deportation of children from occupied Ukrainian territories. Moscow has rejected the allegations.

Ukrainian officials maintain that many of the children were taken without the informed consent of their families, while human rights groups have alleged that some have been placed with Russian families for adoption.

The accusations remain one of the war’s most controversial humanitarian issues, with both sides continuing to dispute the circumstances surrounding the children’s relocation.