Will Ukraine survive this winter? Is there a ‘peace plan’ or is there appeasement, betrayal and a demand for capitulation and surrender? Will Russia be rewarded for their unprovoked, illegal full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24th, 2022 and be placed in a better position to reinvade Ukraine in the future?
We are not politicians or political commentators. We are followers of Jesus and are ‘fighting’ against the forces of evil that have unleased death and darkness on the land of Ukraine. Forces which have led to widespread destruction and displacement, a terrified and traumatised population; hundreds and thousands of Russians and Ukrainians killed or wounded.
We remind ourselves that Ukraine is fighting not just for statehood but for the freedom to believe, to share, to honour God and to honour each other. At the core of Dnipro Hope Mission is our vision ‘to help make the ‘Kingdom of God a visible reality in Ukraine.’ A kingdom where the forces of good – righteousness and justice; love and truth; kindness and compassion – bring healing to those in need.
Our partners have stayed to ‘fight the good fight.’ In 2022, our partner Sergey joined the armed forces of Ukraine as an ordinary soldier; now he is the senior chaplain responsible for the spiritual oversight of thousands of Ukrainian troops in the east. Our partner, Margarita (aged just 23) fled her home town of Zaporizhzhia; now she offers an equine therapy rehabilitation programme to many hundreds of internally displaced children – many with disabilities; Our partner, Oleksii was forced to flee when the Russians invaded his hometown of Berdiansk and demanded the keys of his church; now he has set up a new church for internally displaced people in Vinnytsia and travels to war-torn Kherson each week delivering life-saving humanitarian aid; Our partner, Vasily and his family fled from their home town of Pokrovsk in 2023; now he delivers aid to hospitals in the east and evacuates families as the Russian army moves forward; our partner Sasha and his family are now just 15km from the Russian invading forces. Throughout the long years of war, Pastor Sasha has risked his life taking food, water, hygiene products and so much more to villages and a care home in the ‘grey zone.’
We do not know if Ukraine will survive this winter. It is expected to be ‘the hardest yet’ as Russia continues to inflict extensive damage on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. Ukrainians are now enduring regular power cuts of up to 16 hours a day (see https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cly98qp99l8o); there are extensive disruptions to basic services such as heating, water supply and working lifts in high-rise buildings. Everyone is experiencing significance stress and a return to reliance on generators and wood burning stoves. It is difficult for people to obtain essential supplies as tills and cash machines cannot operate without power and supply chains are disrupted.
Our partners are supporting the most vulnerable families and communities in front line areas as they prepare to cope with the harsh winter conditions – temperatures are often as low as -20°C. Many families are so poor that they cannot afford to buy firewood due to rising prices and low incomes. People have exhausted their savings, and their livelihoods have been destroyed by Russian bombing. The collection of firewood has become dangerous due to the presence of landmines and explosive remnants of war. Many must choose between heating their homes and buying food. Others are forced to walk long distances to access humanitarian aid (due to safety concerns, unreliable corridors, and the danger of approaching front lines.)
Our partners are increasingly at risk of drone attacks, air strikes, and landmine explosions. After four years and 9 months of full-scale war, they are exhausted but our partner Oleksii says, ‘…if you ask me when I will stop doing this, my answer is never.‘ They deliver much more than humanitarian aid; they deliver hope and love and tangible evidence that those who suffer most are not forgotten. Oleksii continues, ‘…help us fight evil and feed those in need.’
With all this in mind, we have just launched our winter appeal ‘Help Ukraine Survive this Winter’. We hope to do even ‘more than’ we have done in previous years to show our partners, and those they support, that they are not forgotten; that there are many who ‘stand with Ukraine‘.
You can make a difference:
Please donate to our Winter Appeal ‘Help Ukraine Survive this Winter’. Your donation will save lives. www.dniprohopemission.org/donate ref: Winter Appeal.
‘For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine.
£14-25 will buy a cubic meter of firewood (this is the preferential ‘social price’. Private company prices are more expensive.) This amount will last just a few weeks as the stove will need to burn all day to keep homes warm.
£150 will buy a small wood burning stove.
Please continue to pray that peace and justice will soon come to the long-suffering people of Ukraine.
