Weekly Update #112
 April 22, 2024

REFUGEE SITUATION

2024 population planning figures



2024 situation overview

As we enter the third year of the full-scale war in Ukraine, the situation is expected to become protracted, particularly in the eastern and southern parts of the country, where shelling and targeted attacks on infrastructure have become a part of daily life. 14.6 million people inside Ukraine will need multisectoral humanitarian assistance, including 3.7 million people displaced by the war. The number of refugees seeking protection across Europe is expected to remain stable at around 5.9 million, with continuing pendular movements between Ukraine and host countries. According to UNHCR intention survey results, nearly 80% of refugees hope to return to Ukraine one day, however, just 14% plan to do so in the near future. Security concerns remain paramount, along with access to basic services, housing, and livelihoods, for refugees and internally displaced people when deciding whether to return.


The European Union’s extension of the application of the Temporary Protection Directive until March 2025 is a sign of the continued solidarity with refugees from Ukraine across Europe. While notable progress has been observed overall in terms of refugees’ access to services and inclusion in national systems in Europe, people with specific needs including older people, people with disabilities, and those with serious medical conditions are facing increasing challenges and hardship. In some cases, these challenges may compel refugees to make premature decisions to return home to Ukraine, where the situation remains volatile.


As Ukraine enters its third year of war, the World Health Organisation (WHO) highlighted the importance of continuing to provide medical and social support to refugees and called for a strong political commitment from the EU.

 

Since the Russian invasion started in February 2022, 6.5 million Ukrainians have fled the war, according to the UN refugee agency UNHCR. Two years later, most of them, or around 1.1 million, live in Germany, and another one million in Poland, where they are registered under the Temporary Protection Directive (TPD). 


The 2001 TPD is a tool for EU countries to provide immediate protection in the event of a mass influx of refugees fleeing war from non-EU countries. 


It has been triggered for the first time after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and rights for the beneficiaries include, for example, access to medical care, education, housing, residence permit, or asylum procedure. 


In November 2023, more than 4.2 million refugees benefited from the mechanism, according to the European Commission. In September 2023, member states decided to extend the TPD until March 2025, beyond its original expiry in March 2024.

Some countries like Poland, Belgium, Romania, Czech Republic, Estonia, France or Germany, went beyond the TPD guidelines and granted Ukrainian refugees the same rights as national citizens. 


However, there are no confirmed plans to extend the TPD beyond March 2025, which is why the WHO is calling for a “strong political commitment”, so that the refugees don’t find themselves in a difficult situation. 


It is even more important to extend the TPD given that two years after the war started, there has been a change in the refugees’ needs when it comes to health assistance. 


As the war started, doctors have mainly treated war injuries like head injuries, burns, fractures, or amputations.  The challenge was also to keep providing care and medical support when the Russian army bombed hospitals and maternity hospitals, including in Mariupol, Kherson, or Druzhkivka.


But now, vaccination and mental health have become priorities, said the WHO. The Ukrainian Health Minister Viktor Liashko estimated in January 2023 that 14 million Ukrainians were in need of psychological aid.


The Ukrainian refugees also have low vaccination coverage rates, which vary from 73% to 85% and represent a threat to host countries as “all countries have immunisation gaps” that could lead to outbreaks.


The TPD provides health and social assistance and is also considered as an economic benefit as it facilitates access to the labour market, and some refugees now work and pay taxes in their host country. 


The total cost of reconstruction and recovery in Ukraine is estimated by the World Bank, European Commission, United Nations, and Ukraine at $486 billion over the next decade.


However, not all refugees have access to the market labour – older people, children, and people with disabilities therefore find themselves in vulnerable situations, living in shelters or with poor access to health services. 


Sources: UNHCR

Euractiv

THE HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE

(as of 18 April 2024)

From January to March, the humanitarian situation in Ukraine continued to deepen. Waves of attacks had a devastating impact on civilians, and vital services were disrupted for hundreds of thousands of people across the country at the height of winter. Since the start of the year through March 2024, people across Ukraine – Kharkiv, Kherson, Kyiv, Lviv, Mykolaiv, Odesa, Zaporizhzhia and elsewhere – have suffered from massive waves of attacks, which have killed and injured civilians and damaged houses and critical civilian infrastructure. At the same time, hostilities in front-line and border communities, especially in Donetska, Kharkivska, Khersonska and Sumska oblasts, drove further displacement of civilians in search of safety and protection. The United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) verified that 640 people had been killed or injured in January and 500 in February, noting an alarming increase in the number of children affected, with 40 child casualties reported in January alone. Strikes on critical infrastructure led to major disruptions of essential services such as electricity, water, and gas for hundreds of thousands of people.

 

Continuous attacks on schools and medical facilities have had far-reaching consequences, making access to essential health care and education ever more challenging. In the first three months of 2024, the World Health Organization (WHO) verified more than 70 attacks impacting health-care providers, supplies, facilities, warehouses and transport in Ukraine, out of over 260 attacks globally. The impact is especially devastating in front-line areas where health-care facilities have already been heavily impacted. Additionally, according to the Education Cluster, nearly 90 education facilities have been impacted by attacks across Ukraine since the start of 2024. Educational and medical facilities were impacted in front-line areas and other locations further from active ground fighting, such as Lviv City in the west, hindering access to essential health care and education.

 

The war has led to encompassing mental health risks and trauma among millions of Ukrainians. The World Health Organization reports that nearly 10 million people are at risk or suffering from mental disorders, with 3.9 million experiencing moderate to severe symptoms. Children are particularly affected, with over 1.5 million in urgent need of support to cope with stress, anxiety and other mental health challenges. The disruption of education due to the relentless attacks exacerbates these issues.

 

 

 

EMERGENCY RESPONSE

HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE: January to February 2024


The relentless waves of attacks in January and February inflicted devastating humanitarian consequences for millions of people in Ukraine. Ongoing hostilities in front-line areas and escalated attacks across the country, resulted in significant civilian casualties, destruction of civilian infrastructure and substantial disruptions to vital services, intensified the need for sustained support for child protection, counselling, education, emergency food, general protection, health, including access to health care and education. It has further shelter repairs, temporary housing, water, hygiene and sanitation (WASH

 

In the first two months of 2024, humanitarian organizations provided 2.9 million people in need with vital aid and services, including emergency assistance following strikes. Some58 per cent of people assisted were women and girls, almost 20 per cent were children, and 10 per cent were people with disabilities. Over 2 million people reached were war-affected non-displaced people; over 0.5 million were displaced people, and some 0.3 million were people who returned home after displacement. Of various types of assistance, over 1.7 million people received food and livelihood support, and 1.7 million people were provided with water, sanitation and hygiene services. Over 650,000 people received support with health care. Aid organizations provided around 320,000 people with materials for emergency repairs and essential household items. Nearly 350,000 children and teachers were supported to continue education activities. Aid organizations provided general protection support—including counselling and legal aid —to nearly 270,000 people, and more than 200,000 children and caregivers were reached with critical child protection services. Around 160,000 people received multi-purpose cash assistance to cover their basic needs. Over 80,000 people were reached with services to prevent gender-based violence and support survivors. Mine action efforts reached more than 70,000 people, primarily through mine-risk awareness and education. Around 40,000 people were reached through support to collective centres for displaced people.


In the first two months of 2024, the Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan, appealing for US$3.1 billion, received 11 per cent of the funding requested. Humanitarians’ ability to continue providing timely support, including in response to the impact of continued attacks, will depend on the sustainable inflow of donor funding.


Source: OCHA

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Supporting repairs of multistorey buildings 

In Kharkiv city and Izium, UNHCR has provided construction materials to local authorities to support repairs of common areas in 45 damaged residential buildings.

With the massive destruction of private houses and apartments due to Russian attacks on Ukraine, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, continues to support repairs of homes in the regions most directly affected by the hostilities.

In Kharkiv region, where residential areas and energy facilities are continuously attacked, damaged and destroyed, UNHCR has delivered substantial quantities of construction materials to the cities of Kharkiv and Izium. This is part of a strategic initiative to support the repair and reconstruction of common areas in multistorey residential buildings, as this is a prerequisite for owners of apartments in these buildings to apply for cash support and compensation under the Ukrainian Government’s scheme eVindovlennya.

With UNHCR’s provision of timber, roofing materials and windows, and in close coordination with the local authorities who have carried out the works, the common areas of 34 multistorey buildings in Izium and 11 multistorey buildings in Kharkiv city have been repaired. This is part of a strategic initiative to support the repair and reconstruction of common areas in multistorey residential buildings, as this is a prerequisite for owners of apartments in these buildings to apply for cash support and compensation under the Ukrainian Government’s scheme eVindovlennya.

As a result, 5,596 families have now become eligible for the state eVindovlennya programme to address damage to their properties.

According to UNHCR’s information, so far around 400 families have already applied, and families continue to return to their homes in these residential buildings.

“In UNHCR, we remain committed to contribute to the immediate and sustainable recovery of communities heavily impacted by the war. We are pleased to be working with the authorities in Kharkiv region on this new initiative, where our support and provision of construction materials not only ensures that common areas in multistorey buildings will be repaired and restored, but also enables the apartment owners to apply for the critical state compensation,” says Karolina Lindholm Billing, UNHCR’s Representative in Ukraine.

During 2024, UNHCR will expand this initiative to other affected regions and cities in Ukraine, including Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Mykolaiv and Odesa.

Source: UNHCR

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GoU Reduces Living Allowance for IDPs; Only 50 Percent of IDPs Remain Eligible to Receive or Apply for Assistance 

The GoU revised the living allowance for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in March based on socio-economic vulnerability status, resulting in some IDPs losing access to GoU assistance, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reports. Under the new criteria, IOM estimates that only 50 percent of IDPs, or 1.8 million people, will remain automatically eligible for IDP assistance or can reapply for assistance, which may impact vulnerable populations’ _ability to meet their basic needs. In particular, certain IDPs—such as those with undocumented disabilities or unregistered unemployment status—will remain ineligible for assistance despite their additional vulnerabilities. As a result, individuals within these IDP profiles may still struggle to meet basic needs due to the absence of social protection mechanisms, the financial burden of managing unregistered chronic illnesses or disabilities without adequate support, limited earning opportunities, or lower incomes, according to IOM. 

Source: USAID

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Impact Study: The role of Psychological First Aid in the IFRC Ukraine MHPSS response, March 2024

Red Cross National Societies across Europe have been responding to the needs of displaced people from Ukraine. For some, part of their response has been the integration of PFA to meet the mental health and psychosocial needs of the target population. PFA has been used to support the implementation of services as well as to directly provide MHPSS to displaced people from Ukrainians. PFA is an evidence informed approach that is widely acknowledged as an approach that is effective in reducing distress and supporting recovery. Even so, it is challenging to measure the direct impact of PFA and because of this the study focused rather on what the impact of integrating and institutionalising PFA is within National Societies.

The goal of the study is to map how PFA has been used and identify its wider institutional impact within the general context of National Societies Ukraine Response. The study maps out the challenges, gaps and successes of institutionalising PFA while identifying the corelating factors which shaped the roll out and integration of PFA.

To do this the study adopted a case study approach of seven National Societies, Red Cross of Montenegro, Bulgarian Red Cross, Ukrainian Red Cross Society, Romanian Red Cross, Lithuanian Red Cross Society, Polish Red Cross and Slovak Red Cross. These National Societies were selected as they were each at different stages of implementation and were willing to participate and facilitate in person or online data collection within the allocated timeframe of the study.

Using both qualitative and quantitative methodology, focus group discussions and Key Informant Interviews took place with those who had been trained in PFA, were implementing PFA and/or were directly working with Ukrainians. In addition, an online survey was shared with National Society staff and volunteers. Data collection tools were designed to understand the conceptualisation of PFA, the challenges, gaps and success of PFA within the Ukraine response as well as the wider institutional impact. A thematic analysis was used to identify the common themes across the different national societies.

Across the National Societies, 15 Focus Group discussion took place with staff and volunteers, and 9 Focus Group Discussions with displaced people from Ukraine. There were 30 KII with National Societies staff and volunteers as well as the IFRC Regional Office of Europe and the IFRC Psychosocial Support Reference Centre. 86 National Society staff and volunteers responded to an online survey.

Key findings

The key findings of the study can be divided into the following themes, PFA within the Ukraine response, factors contributing to the implementation of PFA, impact and role of PFA within the Ukraine response, PFA strengths, challenges, gaps and sustainability.

PFA within the Ukraine response

Factors contributing to the implementation of PFA.

Impact and role of PFA within the Ukraine response

PFA strengths, challenges, gaps, and sustainability

Recommendations

1.  Reshaping PFA for the Ukrainian context to emphasize understanding and addressing complex reactions to emergencies.

Key to PFA is understanding the impact of crises and the reactions to crises. It was noted that National Society staff and volunteers need more understanding of common reactions of different groups, including children and adolescents. More emphasis on the psychoeducational component of PFA and the PFA modules on different types of crises, reactions of crises, complex reactions and how different groups are impacted and need support, needs to be included in trainings and in supportive supervision.

2.  Developing guidance for the operationalization of PFA

There are multiple manuals and approaches to PFA but there are limited resources on how to operationalise PFA. The development of these resources should include:

3.  Strengthening the role of the management and increasing programme development Conducting a SWOT analysis to better understand the strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats is vital to ensure the successful contextualisation and integration of PFA within National Societies and ensuring the sustainability of PFA. Using the findings of a SWOT analysis would allow for National Societies to have a starting point to build the PFA response and measure their progression.

Source: IFRC

STATUS OF THE CONFLICT

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov signaled Russia’s intent to seize Kharkiv City in a future significant Russian offensive operation, the first senior Kremlin official to outright identify the city as a possible Russian operational objective following recent Ukrainian warnings that Russian forces may attempt to seize the city starting in Summer 2024. Lavrov stated during a radio interview with several prominent Russian state propagandists on April 19 that Kharkiv City “plays an important role” in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s idea of establishing a demilitarized “sanitary zone” in Ukraine to protect Russian border settlements from Ukrainian strikes.

 

Lavrov stated that Putin has very clearly stated that Russian forces must push the frontline far enough into Ukraine – which Lavrov explicitly defines as into Kharkiv Oblast – to place Russian settlements outside of the Ukrainian strike range. This requirement is a very vague definition that could include the entirety of Ukrainian territory as long as an independent Ukrainian state exists and is willing to defend itself. Lavrov stated in response to a question about where Russian forces will go after creating a “sanitary zone” that Russian authorities are “completely convinced” of the need to continue Russia’s war against Ukraine. Lavrov responded in seeming agreement to a comment from one of the interviewers, who suggested that Lavrov’s earlier remarks meant that Russian forces will have to continue to attack further into Ukraine after creating the “sanitary zone” to protect the settlements that would then be within the zone and Ukrainian strike range. 

 

Ukrainian air defense capabilities remain limited and degraded, however, allowing Russian aircraft to operate freely without threat on certain critical areas of the front. The ability of Russian aircraft to operate over 100 kilometers deep in Ukrainian airspace near the frontline without sustaining significant losses indicates that Ukrainian air defenses in the area are currently insufficient to deter or deny Russian aircraft from operating on the front line. The Ukrainian capability to conduct long-range strikes to down Russian strategic aircraft conducting combat operations may temporarily constrain Russian aviation operations as the previous downing of tactical aircraft has achieved.


Source: ISW

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Russia pummels exhausted Ukrainian forces with smaller attacks ahead of a springtime advance


Russian troops are ramping up pressure on exhausted Ukrainian forces to prepare to seize more land this spring and summer as muddy fields dry out and allow tanks, armored vehicles and other heavy equipment to roll to key positions across the countryside.


With the war in Ukraine now in its third year and a vital U.S. aid package for Kyiv slowed down in Congress, Russia has increasingly used satellite-guided gliding bombs — which allow planes to drop them from a safe distance — to pummel Ukrainian forces beset by a shortage of troops and ammunition.


Despite Moscow’s advantage in firepower and personnel, a massive ground offensive would be risky and — Russian military bloggers other experts say — unnecessary if Russia can stick to smaller attacks across the front line to further drain the Ukraine military.


Last summer’s counteroffensive by Ukraine was doomed when advancing Ukrainian units got trapped on vast Russian minefields and massacred by artillery and drones. The Russians have no reason to make that same mistake.


UKRAINIAN FORCES EXPOSED

Last November, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ordered his forces to build trenches, fortifications and bunkers behind the more than 1,000-kilometer front line, but analysts say construction work moved slowly, leaving areas unprotected.


After capturing the Ukrainian stronghold of Avdiivka, Russian troops are zeroing in on the hill town of Chasiv Yar, which would allow them to move toward Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, key cities in the Kyiv-controlled part of the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine. Russia illegally annexed Donetsk and three other regions in 2022, and the Kremlin sees fully controlling that region as a priority.


Zhdanov said Ukraine doesn’t have the firepower to repel Russian attacks.


IN RUSSIA’S SIGHTS

After securing another term in a preordained election in March, President Vladimir Putin vowed to carve out a “sanitary zone” to protect Russia’s border regions from Ukrainian shelling and incursions.


Putin didn’t give any specifics, but Russian military bloggers and security analysts said that along with a slow push across the Donetsk region, Moscow could also try to capture Ukraine’s second-largest city of Kharkiv, which Russia tried and failed to take in the opening days of the war.


In a possible sign of a looming attack on Kharkiv, a city of 1.1 million about 30 kilometers (some 20 miles) south of the border, Russia has ramped up strikes on power plants in the area, inflicting significant damage and causing blackouts.

Ukraine doesn’t have enough air defense to protect Kharkiv and other cities, and the constant Russian strikes are part of Moscow’s strategy to “suffocate” it by destroying its infrastructure and forcing its residents to leave, Zhdanov said.


Source: AP News

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The big picture: What's happening with the war as we enter a new week?

 

The frontline

Concerns appear to be increasing that Ukraine's defences may be at risk of collapse in the face of a new Russian assault. 

 

Sources in numerous media outlets over the past couple of weeks have raised this fear as Ukraine is facing shortages of both manpower and ammunition, and appears outmanned and outgunned on the battlefield.

Western officials told Bloomberg the country is now at its most fragile moment since the war began. 

 

Ukraine's military chief said on Saturday that the battlefield situation in the east had "significantly worsened in recent days" and that Moscow had ramped up its assaults since Vladimir Putin extended his rule in the Russian presidential election.

Reports also suggest Ukraine's second-largest city, Kharkiv, could be among the targets for a renewed Russian assault. 

 

Kharkiv has faced intense bombardment from Russia in recent months, coming under fire from S-300 ballistic missiles and glide bombs, and was the target of repeated attacks last week.  The city is not the most likely target of a fresh assault, media reports say, but Russian news outlets have raised the prospect. 

 

'Massive strikes' on energy infrastructure 

Overnight into Thursday saw a huge assault on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, with 40 missiles and 40 drones reportedly sent into the country by Russia.  A thermal power plant just outside Kyiv was completely destroyed and went up in flames, while 200,000 residents in Kharkiv were left without power. 

 

Vladimir Putin later said he had been "obliged" to attack Ukraine's energy infrastructure after Kyiv conducted attacks on Russian oil refineries.

 

Attacks at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant

Russia accused Ukraine of attacking the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in a series of drone strikes over three days. 

 

The attacks at the Russian-occupied plant began on 7 April, with the roof of reactor 6 damaged.  Ukraine has repeatedly denied involvement and said it would never target a nuclear facility, suggesting Russia was behind the attacks.

 The UN's nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, has warned the "reckless" attacks "significantly increase the risk of a major nuclear accident". 

It has not said who it believes is behind the attacks.

 

Civilian casualties increase sharply

The UN recorded a dramatic increase in civilian casualties in Ukraine in the last month. 

 

At least 57 children were killed or injured in March - double the number in February - as Russian forces stepped up their attacks. 

 

The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission said it had verified at least 604 civilians killed or injured in Ukraine in March, a 20% increase from the previous month. 

"The March increase in civilian casualties was mainly due to attacks by the Russian armed forces using missiles and loitering munitions across Ukraine and increased aerial bombardments near the frontline," the Rights Office said.

 

It followed warnings from Volodymyr Zelenskyy that Ukraine country could run out of air defence missiles if Russia keeps up its intense bombing campaign. 


Source: Sky News

UPDATES ON INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT FOR UKRAINE

US Congress approves Ukraine aid

 

The US House of Representatives passed a supplemental appropriations bill on April 20 providing for roughly $60 billion of assistance to Ukraine. The bill must now be passed by the Senate and signed by the president before aid can begin to flow. These requirements and the logistics of transporting US materiel to the frontline in Ukraine will likely mean that new US assistance will not begin to affect the situation on the front line for several weeks. The frontline situation will therefore likely continue to deteriorate in that time, particularly if Russian forces increase their attacks to take advantage of the limited window before the arrival of new US aid. Ukrainian forces may suffer additional setbacks in the coming weeks while waiting for US security assistance that will allow Ukraine to stabilize the front, but they will likely be able to blunt the current Russian offensive assuming the resumed US assistance arrives promptly. 

 

The US Senate will reportedly vote on the bill sometime in the coming week.  Pentagon Spokesperson Brigadier General Patrick Ryder stated on April 19 that the Pentagon’s robust logistics system will allow the United States to move security assistance within a matter of “days” and that he believes that the United States will be able to “rush the security assistance in volumes” that the United States believes Ukraine will need to be successful.

 

US Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs Celeste Wallander reportedly told US lawmakers that the Pentagon would begin moving ammunition, artillery shells, and air defense assets quickly once Congress approves the aid.[4] US media reported that US officials stated that the US Department of Defense (DoD) has been assembling the first tranche of resumed US security assistance for Ukraine ahead of the vote in the US House of Representatives but noted that the Biden administration has yet to make a final decision on how large the first tranche of aid will be or what it will include.  US officials reportedly stated that the United States will be able to “almost immediately” send certain munitions to Ukraine from US storage facilities in Europe, particularly critically needed 155mm artillery shells and air defense missiles

 

 US officials reportedly stated that the United States will be able to “almost immediately” send certain munitions to Ukraine from US storage facilities in Europe, particularly critically needed 155mm artillery shells and air defense missiles.  The US officials noted that other security assistance will likely take weeks to arrive in Ukraine depending on where it is currently stored. Ukraine has systematically improved its military logistics operations in recent months, but this new system has not yet accommodated a sudden and large influx of materiel, and no system would be able to immediately distribute large quantities of materiel throughout the frontline.


Source: ISW

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A look at what’s in the $95 billion foreign aid package passed by the House

 

A look at what’s in the $95 billion package passed by the House on Saturday that will provide military aid to Ukraine and Israel, replenish U.S. weapons systems and give humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza.


The broad spending breakdown:


Source: AP News

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After Congress finally does pass new funding, this is how the US can rush weapons to Ukraine

 

A look at how the U.S. can quickly move weapons to Ukraine:

 

PRESIDENTIAL DRAWDOWN AUTHORITY

When an aid package for Ukraine is announced, the weapons are either provided through presidential drawdown authority, which allows the military to immediately pull from its stockpiles, or through security assistance, which funds longer-term contracts with the defense industry to obtain the systems.


The presidential drawdown authority, or PDA, as it’s known, has allowed the military to send billions of dollars worth of ammunition, air defense missile launchers, tanks, vehicles and other equipment to Ukraine.


Those stocks are pulled from bases or storage facilities in the U.S. or from European sites where the U.S. has already surged weapons to cut down on the amount of time it will take to deliver them once the funding is approved.

 

DWINDLING U.S. STOCKS

As the war in Ukraine has dragged on, the U.S. began to send increasingly larger, more lethal and more expensive systems to the warfront. They included entire air defense systems, armored vehicles, sophisticated missiles — even Abrams tanks.


Those systems cost more to replace, so the military — in particular, the Army — went deeper into debt. Compounding that, the military in some cases opted to replace older systems sent to Ukraine with pricier, higher-tech ones at home.

As a result, Army leaders recently told Congress that without passage of the foreign aid bill, they will begin to run out of money and have to move funds from other accounts.


Army Secretary Christine Wormuth and Gen. Randy George, chief of staff of the Army, said the branch wouldn’t have enough money to bring home troops serving in Europe or to train units in the U.S.

 

U.S. WEAPONS STORAGE

The military has massive weapons storage facilities in the U.S. for millions of rounds of munitions of all sizes that would be ready to use in case of war.


For example, the McAlester Army Ammunition Plant in Oklahoma sprawls across 45,000 acres (70 square miles) connected by rail and has a mission to surge as many as 435 shipping containers — each able to carry 15 tons (30,000 pounds) worth of munitions — if ordered by the president.


The facility is also a major storage site for one of the most used munitions on Ukraine’s battlefield, 155 mm howitzer rounds.


The demand by Ukraine for that particular shell has put pressure on U.S. stockpiles and pushed the military to see where else it could get them. As a result, tens of thousands of 155 mm rounds have been shipped back from South Korea to McAlester to be retrofitted for Ukraine.

 

STORING WEAPONS IN EUROPE

According to a U.S. military official, the U.S. would be able to send certain munitions “almost immediately” to Ukraine because storehouses exist in Europe.


Among the weapons that could go very quickly are the 155 mm rounds and other artillery, along with some air defense munitions. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss preparations not yet made public.


A host of sites across Germany, Poland and other European allies also are helping Ukraine maintain and train on systems sent to the front. For example, Germany set up a maintenance hub for Kyiv’s Leopard 2 tank fleet in Poland, near the Ukrainian border.


The nearby maintenance hubs hasten the turnaround time to get needed repairs done on the Western systems.


Source: AP News

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NATO ministers agree to provide additional air defense aid to Ukraine


NATO defense ministers have agreed to support Ukraine with further military aid, including air defense, Jens Stoltenberg, secretary general of the military alliance, said Friday.


In a virtual meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, “allies agreed to step up,” and provide the additional aid, Stoltenberg said in a post on social media platform X.


During the meeting, Zelenskyy said current levels of foreign aid for Ukraine were “very limited” and that Ukraine needed at least seven Patriot or similar air defense systems, Reuters reported. Earlier this month, Zelenskyy said that Ukraine needed around 25 of the systems to protect its entire country from air strikes.


Also on Friday, members of the G7 — a group of seven major economies — said in a statement that they would work to “bolster Ukraine’s air defense capabilities to save lives and protect critical infrastructure.”


Ukraine’s Zelenskyy has been calling for further support from allies and had reiterated his request for air defence support earlier on Friday.


Source: CNBC

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After their PM halts Ukraine aid, Slovaks dig deep to help

 

A crowdfunding campaign in Slovakia to buy artillery shells for Ukraine has exceeded its target of €1m (£850,000), less than 48 hours after it was launched.

 

The campaign is a response to the Slovak cabinet's refusal to join an initiative by the Czech government to buy up hundreds of thousands of shells for the Ukrainian armed forces.

 

In essence it allows Slovaks to bypass the populist-nationalist government of Robert Fico, who came to power in October pledging not to send "one more round of ammunition" to Ukraine.

 

For months Ukrainian forces have struggled to defend their front lines from the Russian advance because of a shortage of shells, rockets and air defences.

But Mr Fico has flatly refused to join about 20 countries that have signed up to the Czech operation to procure large quantities of artillery ammunition on the global arms market.

 

The Slovak prime minister says the West's policy of arming Ukraine is only prolonging the conflict, and Kyiv should instead lay down its arms and sue for peace with Moscow.

 

The crowdfunding campaign has provided an outlet for those Slovaks who do not agree with him. By Friday afternoon, more than 32,000 people had donated more

than €2m since it launched on Tuesday afternoon. The money will go directly to the Czech government's initiative.

 

"We're really pleasantly surprised at the huge force it's awoken," said Zuzana Izsakova from the "Peace to Ukraine" initiative, which is running the effort in conjunction with the Czech-based Endowment Fund for Ukraine.   "It's a sign of the resistance of Slovak society against the government and the foreign policy of Robert Fico," she told the BBC.

 

The campaign, running under the slogan "If The Government Won't - We Will", would continue even now it had met its target, she said. So far Mr Fico has not commented publicly on the campaign.

 

However, Defence Minister Robert Kalinak told the Markiza TV station that Slovakia was a democracy and people were free to do what they wanted. His government was working instead on providing Kyiv with assistance such as demining equipment, he said.

 

The Czech ammunition initiative sees Prague acting as a middleman, combining extensive defence contacts dating back to the Cold War with money from EU and Nato partners to procure ammunition for Ukraine's shell-starved artillery batteries.

 

The scheme has been lauded by allies including President Joe Biden, at a time when Ukraine military aid has been mired for months in Congressional bickering and the EU's own ammunition pledges have fallen far short.

 

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said on a visit to Washington this week his country had so far signed contracts for 180,000 rounds and was securing the purchase of 300,000 more, following substantial pledges of money from Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark and others.  The first shells would arrive in June, said Mr Fiala.


Source: BBC

HOLY FATHER ON UKRAINE

Angelus - April 21, 2024 (Sunday)

It is with concern and also with grief that I am continuing to follow the situation in the Middle East. I renew my appeal not to give in to the logic of vengeance and war. May the paths of dialogue and diplomacy, which can do so much, prevail. I pray every day for peace in Palestine and Israel, and I hope that these two peoples may stop suffering soon. And let us not forget martyred Ukraine, the martyred Ukraine which suffers so much because of the war. 

Continuo a seguire con preoccupazione, e anche con dolore, la situazione in Medio Oriente. Rinnovo l’appello a non cedere alla logica della rivendicazione e della guerra; prevalgano invece le vie del dialogo e della diplomazia, che può fare tanto. Prego ogni giorno per la pace in Palestina e in Israele e spero che quei due popoli possano presto smettere di soffrire. E non dimentichiamo la martoriata Ucraina, la martoriata Ucraina che soffre tanto per la guerra.

Links to the full text in ENGLISH and ITALIAN

General Audience - April 17, 2024

And our thoughts, at this moment, [the thoughts] of all of us, go to the peoples at war. Let us think of the Holy Land, of Palestine, of Israel. We think of Ukraine, martyred Ukraine. Let us think of the prisoners of war... May the Lord move wills so they may all be freed. And speaking of prisoners, those who are tortured come to mind. The torture of prisoners is a horrible thing. It is not human. Let us think of so many kinds of torture that wound the dignity of the person, and of so many tortured people... May the Lord help everyone and bless everyone.

E anche il nostro pensiero, di tutti noi, in questo momento va alle popolazioni in guerra. Pensiamo alla Terra Santa, alla Palestina, a Israele. Pensiamo all’Ucraina, la martoriata Ucraina. Pensiamo ai prigionieri di guerra: che il Signore muova la volontà per liberarli tutti. E parlando dei prigionieri, mi vengono in mente coloro che sono torturati. La tortura dei prigionieri è una cosa bruttissima, non è umana. Pensiamo a tante torture che feriscono la dignità della persona, e a tanti torturati. Il Signore aiuti tutti e benedica tutti.

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MEMBER PHOTOS

Caritas Austria Day Centre for Children in Konotop

Bringing joy to children in the most difficult time of their young lives (courtesy of Caritas Austria)