UKRAINE – On February 24, 2022, Russian forces brutally invaded the sovereign nation of Ukraine. As we approach the third anniversary of the start of that war, we remember the nightmare its citizens have been forced to endure—and the love you have sent to combat that darkness. On the anniversary of war, we are reminded of your incredible faithfulness to help the beleaguered people of Ukraine.
Galina remembers what it was like: the initial disbelief. The futile hope that the terror would pass them by. Finally, the realization that the war was there to stay—and that her family needed to flee.
“Before the war, we worked hard and everything was fine,” she told us. “We had our own business making rubber-technical products, and there, I served as the chief engineer.”
But suddenly their lives changed drastically. “The war took everything away,” she said. “We lost our home. Our large and friendly family was scattered.” Galina summed up her painful feelings: “I am tormented by longing for a home that no longer exists.”
According to UNICEF, the Ukrainian refugee crisis caused by Russia’s invasion is the largest migration crisis in the world this century. More than 16 million residents were forced to flee, and about 8 million more have become internally displaced. The people are enduring relentless hostilities, prolonged displacement, and severe shortages of basic necessities such as clean water and power.
Tremendous Love and Compassion on the Anniversary of War
Since the beginning of the war, Operation Blessing has been on the ground to assist the people affected. A team traveled to the Polish border early on to work with Ukrainian refugees who had fled there. Thanks to the tremendous love and compassion of partners like you, tens of thousands of families inside Ukraine have received food. And every day, Operation Blessing visits the temporary shelters of displaced people who have opted to stay.
Currently, we are also distributing around 1,000 loaves of bread per month in the war-stricken settlements of the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine. There, the brave few suffer through rocket attacks—and must bear with lack of heating, electricity, and even food. They are incredibly thankful for your help.
Meanwhile, Galina now lives in a small apartment in a safer part of the country with her husband, daughter, grandson, and 90-year-old father, after initially being separated from her father when the war broke out. Mercifully, part of her family is again under one roof, but they struggle to get by as the war rages on. While the anniversary of war is a somber reminder of struggle, it also a reminder of how much you care. Thanks to your kindness, we were able to bring this brave family nourishing food—and thick blankets to make the harsh winters a bit warmer.
“We are very grateful to the people of Operation Blessing for helping us,” Galina acknowledged. “It is thanks to you that we have food. We will remember until the end of our days how you did not abandon us in our most difficult time. … So we are very grateful!”
