Weekly Update #102
February 12, 2024

REFUGEE SITUATION

(as of 31 December 2023)

IDP PRESENCE BY OBLAST

(as of December 2023)

THE HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE

UN experts take Russia to task over deported Ukrainian children and a ‘military agenda’ in schools

A panel of U.N.-backed experts that focuses on children’s human rights called Thursday on Russia to prevent efforts to rewrite school curricula and textbooks to reflect the government’s “political and military agenda,” including over the war in Ukraine.

The Committee on the Rights of the Child held two days of hearings in Geneva last month before presenting its findings on conditions in Russia. The examination was part of a regular review that all U.N. member countries receive.

Bragi Gudbrandsson, the committee’s vice chair, said that the panel highlighted the killings and injuries of hundreds of children through “indiscriminate attacks” by Russia in Ukraine by using explosive weapons. He cited measures to strip deported Ukrainian children of their nationality and give them Russian citizenship.

The Ukrainian government and “other sources” indicated that about 20,000 Ukrainian children had been forcibly deported, though it was difficult to determine exact numbers, he said. “Russia denied this,” he added.

“It is our conclusion that there are (is) evidence of forced transfer of children from Ukraine to Russia,” said Gudbrandsson, a former director-general of Iceland’s child protection agency.

Russian officials attended the committee’s Jan. 22-23 hearings. The Russian diplomatic mission in Geneva didn’t immediately respond to a request from The Associated Press seeking comment, but said that a response would come from Moscow.

The 18-member committee of independent experts last examined Russia’s record on children’s rights a decade ago. It also urged the Russian government to investigate war crime allegations against President Vladimir Putin’s commissioner for children’s rights.

In March 2023, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, his children’s rights commissioner, accusing them of abducting children from Ukraine.

The U.N. committee, in its concluding observations, said it was “deeply concerned” about the allegations of Lvova-Belova’s responsibility and urged Russian authorities to “investigate allegations of war crimes perpetrated” by her. It didn’t mention the allegations against Putin.

The Russian government has faced international condemnation over deportations of Ukrainian families, including children, to Russia following Putin’s order for Russian troops to launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. It also has come under recent scrutiny over the alleged interference by Putin’s ruling party in schools and policies that put a positive spin on Russia’s war effort.

The Russian delegation headed by Alexey Vovchenko, a deputy minister of labor and social protection, denied during last month’s hearings that any Ukrainians were forcibly removed from their country. He said that 4.8 million residents of Ukraine — including 770,000 children — had been taken in by Russia.

The committee also denounced the alleged “widespread and systematic state propaganda in schools about the war in Ukraine,” including through the issuance of a new history textbook and a new training manual for teaching the government’s positions on the conflict.

The U.N. panel called on authorities to “prevent any attempts to rewrite school curriculum and textbooks to reflect the political and military agenda of the government.”

Ann Skelton, the committee chair, said that it put an emphasis on the “politicization and militarization of schools,” adding: “We consider it to be a very big risk for the future of these children ... who are being indoctrinated basically.”

The committee also expressed concerns about sexual and other violence committed by Russian soldiers against children in Ukraine. The U.N. last year added Russia to a blacklist of countries that violate children’s rights in conflict, citing boys and girls who were killed during attacks on schools and hospitals in Ukraine.

Source: AP News

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UNDP and Finance Ministry of Ukraine sign MOU to enhance partnership and cooperation

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ukraine today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine, marking a significant milestone in their commitment to collaborative efforts for recovery and reconstruction.

Under the MoU, the parties aim to facilitate financing for energy service companies (ESCOs) by establishing an ESCO-fund, as well as improve financial management in critical and social infrastructure projects to prevent fraud and corruption. Additionally, the agreement provides for supporting the ministry’s capacity in critical communications and cyber security, enhancing cooperation for recovery and reconstruction efforts, and developing a national system for funding Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko expressed gratitude to the United Nations Development Programme for its continuous support of Ukraine and readiness to cooperate in areas critical for economic development. "I’m convinced that the experience of UNDP and active work within the framework of the signed Memorandum will lay the groundwork for further ensuring economic recovery, strengthening internal capacity, and stability under the conditions of a full-scale invasion," Marchenko said.

UNDP Resident Representative in Ukraine Jaco Cilliers said that this MoU signifies a strengthened partnership between UNDP Ukraine and the Ministry of Finance, emphasizing their joint commitment to achieving impactful and sustainable recovery outcomes. “Together with the ministry, we hope to chart a course that not only rebuilds but enhances Ukraine's finance landscape, making it more resilient and sustainable than ever before," he said.

Source: UNDP

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Over 140,000 tonnes of life-saving and critical supplies sent to Ukraine via the EU Civil Protection Mechanism

Today, the Commission reached a new milestone as the amount of in-kind assistance delivered to Ukraine now stands at over 140,000 tonnes, making this the largest ever operation supported by the EU’s Emergency Response Coordination Centre.

This assistance has been donated by 32 countries since the activation of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism on 15 February 2022 and channelled via EU logistics hubs in Poland, Romania and Slovakia. The donations cover a wide diversity of items and sectors, including ambulances, fire engines, power generators, transformers, de-mining equipment, shelter supplies, medicines, and much more. The overall financial value of the assistance is estimated at around €796 million.

The latest substantial delivery via the Mechanism was 45,000 tonnes of road salt donated by the Netherlands. Delivered over the past 8 months, and equivalent to around 1,800 trucks, this salt is crucial for keeping Ukrainian road infrastructure functional during harsh winter months, also to ensure that emergency relief reaches people in need across the country.

Source: European Commission

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Forging Local Networks to Distribute Life-saving Health Supplies in Ukraine

During Russia’s war against Ukraine, local organization 100% LIFE identified alternate distribution networks to deliver life-saving HIV treatments to all areas, including war zones.

100%LIFE is the largest patient-led nongovernmental organization (NGO) in Ukraine. Its mission is to provide access to antiretroviral therapy for all people living with HIV, and to advocate for increased access to HIV, tuberculosis (TB), and hepatitis treatments. Since 2001, 100% LIFE has implemented programs funded by the Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria; USAID; the United Nations World Food Programme; and others. After the Russian invasion in 2022, 100% LIFE began also supporting emergency programs for reproductive health care and other health services.

PRACTICE

Prior to the war, 100% LIFE had put preparedness plans in place, mapping out scenarios that included searching for alternative warehouses in western Ukraine to move products away from Kyiv. If war broke out, 100% LIFE planned to find companies to provide alternate logistics services and contact government authorities to understand their emergency procedures.

As the risk of war increased, 100% LIFE’s staff and their families moved to western Ukraine on the recommendation of 100% LIFE’s board of directors. The early relocation of staff meant that they were able to keep working during the 2–3 weeks just after the war started, which was critical. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, the organization had digitized its work flow, which eliminated any need to move physical documents. Even with preparedness plans in place, most emergency actions were adapted during the first month of the war, as it became clear that none of the regular logistics companies were able to operate.

Transportation complexities during the beginning of the war presented many supply chain uncertainties. All airports were immediately closed and flights were cancelled. Logistics companies stopped making deliveries, and warehouses that 100% LIFE used were closed and could not receive health products.

Sources: JSI, USAID

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 WFP expands complementary social assistance programme in Ukraine to people living with disabilities 

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), as part of a programme developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Policy and with funding from Germany, will distribute complementary cash assistance to 310,000 people living with disabilities across the country.

The programme is designed to complement the government’s social assistance paid to the most vulnerable Ukrainians during the war while also supporting a sustainable transition from humanitarian response to more resilient national systems.

Since the programme was launched in August 2023, 400,000 pensioners living in areas of active or possible hostilities have received payments from WFP totalling US$28 million (UAH 1 billion).

In line with the decree of the Cabinet of the Ministers of Ukraine, WFP will now expand this complementary cash assistance – for at least 3 consecutive months – to adults with childhood-onset disabilities and children with disabilities. As a result, WFP will distribute approximately US$21 million (UAH 800 million).

To be eligible for the complementary payment from WFP, people in these categories should meet additional conditions:

• Are not receiving cash assistance from other international organisations;

• Are not receiving a housing allowance for internally displaced people (except in areas of active or possible hostilities as defined by the Ministry of Reintegration);

• Receive less than UAH 3,250 of social allowance from the state.

The payment from WFP is a top-up at a minimum of UAH 100. It is calculated as the difference between UAH 3,250 and the amount of social allowance a person already receives from the state.

“The war is having a lasting effect on Ukraine’s economy and continues to make life difficult for the most vulnerable families and those living near the frontline,” said Marianne Ward, WFP Country Director a.i. in Ukraine. “We are grateful to Germany, one of our major humanitarian partners, for enabling us to expand this programme and help more families make ends meet during this harsh winter.”

The complementary cash assistance from WFP is paid directly to the bank accounts of eligible recipients or delivered by the postal service for recipients without a bank account who already receive social assistance payments in this way. No registration with WFP or the Ministry of Social Policy is required.

“The synergy of actions of the Government, the Ministry of Social Policy and international partners enables additional financial support to Ukrainians who need it most. We are grateful to the humanitarian organizations that, during the war, continue to actively help Ukraine and complement social payments from the state with additional financial aid," said Ukrainian Minister of Social Policy Oksana Zholnovich.

The initiative is currently funded by Germany, the European Union, Norway and Sweden, with additional contributions from private donors.

Overall, since February 2022, WFP distributed more than US$550 million in cash assistance to Ukrainians. Cash assistance is one of many ways WFP supports Ukrainians – WFP also distributes food rations in areas near the frontlines, finances daily meals for schoolchildren and supports rural families with mine action programmes to recover productive agricultural land.

Source: WFP

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Norway Supports Efforts to Find Missing And Disappeared Persons from the War in Ukraine

Norway will support the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP) in its work to assist Ukraine in locating missing persons and investigating their disappearance. Under a three-year, NOK 100 million (roughly 9,365,000 USD) project, ICMP will expand its efforts to help Ukraine address the growing number of missing persons from the on-going war and help to ensure that this work is done in such a way that in coming years it will be possible to present evidence in court and bring perpetrators to justice.

Tens of thousands of people have gone missing in Ukraine as a consequence of the Russian invasion. In addition to atrocities such as summary execution, forcible deportation, incommunicado detention, kidnapping and abduction, disappearances have resulted from mass displacement and family separation, including unlawful adoptions and human trafficking.

At the invitation of the Government of Ukraine, ICMP is helping the authorities to develop a sustainable missing persons process based on the rule of law. This includes providing access to high-volume, DNA-led identification capabilities, ensuring that evidence collected, including evidence from mass and clandestine graves, is admissible in criminal trials, supporting laboratory operations, data collection, and mass grave investigations, providing Ukrainian institutions (including the police) and the Ukrainian public with access to secure and large-scale missing persons data processing, and ensuring participation of civil society and families in the missing persons process.

“Russia’s war against Ukraine causes terrible suffering for the people of Ukraine. It is important for Norway to provide multi-year support to ICMP’s work for justice and accountability for missing people and their families. Moreover, these efforts also contribute to holding Russia accountable for its unlawful actions against Ukrainians,” the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Espen Barth Eide, said.

“Those who have disappeared, including children deported to Russia and illegally adopted, must have justice; their families must have access to the truth,” the Chair of ICMP’s Board of Commissioners, Knut Vollebæk, said today in a meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “Those responsible for mass killings and deportations must be brought to justice. Norway’s support for the effort to account for the missing in Ukraine is premised on restoring the rule of law.”

Speaking at the same event, ICMP Director-General Kathryne Bomberger expressed gratitude to Norway, she stressed that ICMP’s program will increase the capacity of families and civil society organizations to gather and share information about missing persons. “With the assistance of Norway and other countries, ICMP is helping the Ukrainian authorities to make this happen. The very fact that in the midst of an existential war on Ukraine, the government in Kyiv is endeavoring to set in place a system based on due legal process is noteworthy and deserves our support.”

ICMP is a treaty-based intergovernmental organization with Headquarters in The Hague, the Netherlands. Its mandate is to secure the cooperation of governments and others in locating and identifying missing persons from conflict, human rights abuses, disasters, organized crime, irregular migration and other causes and to assist them in doing so.

Source: ICMP

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 UNICEF launches first audio-visual studio for young people in Chernihiv

Ukraine’s first audio-visual studio for teenagers and youth, “Contenta”, has been opened by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the Cultural Platform of Zakarpattia, giving children and young people the chance to record music and mix tracks.  By the end of 2024, there will be studios in 19 other communities across Ukraine. 

Contenta is an audio-visual studio suitable for individuals, groups, and lectures. Located at the Regional Youth Centre, young visitors can access the equipment for free, recording vocals and musical instruments and mixing them into their own music tracks. Crucially, amid an ongoing war, Kontenta helps youngsters to engage in creative activities that contribute to psycho-emotional stability, social cohesion, and improved mental health. 

Those who took part in the opening event attended a music workshop from composer Yevhen Filatov (The Maneken), enjoyed a performance by BRYKULETS, and recorded a podcast. Later, with the help of the studio, they also organized a musical evening. 

"Chernihiv isn't a big city, and there aren't many opportunities here,” says Alina, one of the participants. ”This studio offers something new for our creative youth, allowing them to engage in music and create content. It's a place where you can come and try your hand at creating something. The more you experiment, the greater your chances of success. Now, you can fill your spare time with personal development, thanks to the access provided.” 

A new audio-visual project is helping young people engage in creative activities that boost their mental health and social skills.  

The project was developed by the Cultural Platform of Zakarpattia NGO and the FORMA architectural office, with the support of UNICEF in Ukraine. In 2024, plans are underway to open 19 other branches in youth centres across the country.  

STATUS OF THE CONFLICT

‘Our City Was Gone’: Russia’s Devastation of Mariupol, Ukraine

(War Crimes Inquiry Needed into Massive Loss of Civilian Life, Infrastructure)

 The Russian military assault on the Ukrainian city of Mariupol between February and May 2022 left thousands of civilians dead and injured, including many in apparently unlawful attacks, and trapped hundreds of thousands for weeks without basic services, Human Rights Watch, Truth Hounds, and SITU Research said in a report with extensive new findings released today. Russian President Vladimir Putin and other senior officials should be investigated and appropriately prosecuted for their role in apparent war crimes committed by Russian forces during the fighting there, and Russia should provide reparations to victims of laws-of-war violations and their families.

The 224-page report, “‘Our City Was Gone’: Russia’s Devastation of Mariupol, Ukraine,” an accompanying digital multimedia feature, and a 20-minute video, analyze the civilian suffering and damage to thousands of buildings, including several hundred high-rise apartments, hospitals, educational facilities, and electricity and water infrastructure. They describe repeated attempts by Ukrainian officials and international agencies to organize official evacuations and aid deliveries in the face of Russian obstruction.

The report is based on 240 interviews with mostly displaced Mariupol residents by Human Rights Watch and Truth Hounds, a leading Ukrainian human rights organization, and an analysis of over 850 photos and videos, documents, and dozens of satellite images by Human Rights Watch and SITU Research. The digital multimedia feature includes 3D reconstructions of seven buildings damaged in apparently unlawful attacks, graphics on damaged schools and hospitals, and an analysis of grave sites to help estimate the death toll.

The groups documented in detail 14 attacks that damaged or destroyed 18 buildings, killing and injuring civilians. They include attacks that struck two hospitals, the city’s drama theater sheltering civilians, a food storage facility, an aid distribution site, a supermarket, and residential buildings serving as shelters. In those attacks, Human Rights Watch and Truth Hounds found either no evidence of a Ukrainian military presence in or near the structures hit or only a minor military presence, making them apparently unlawful.

The analysis of satellite imagery, photos, and videos of the city’s main cemeteries found that more than 10,000 people were buried in Mariupol between March 2022 and February 2023. By comparing the growth in graves with the city’s normal mortality rate, the groups estimate that at least 8,000 people died from fighting or war-related causes, though how many of those were civilians remains unknown.

The total number of dead may be significantly higher: some graves contained multiple bodies and the remains of others were most likely buried in rubble. Some may remain in makeshift graves, and others may have died later of war-related causes. Some relatives of those missing are still looking for their loved ones.

Since occupying the city, Russian authorities have been constructing new high-rise apartment buildings as part of their stated plan to rebuild and redevelop Mariupol by 2035. An occupying power should clear debris and demolish unsafe structures to protect the population. However, in the absence of independent investigators, the Russian government is erasing physical evidence at hundreds of potential crime scenes.

Occupying forces are also stripping away markers of Ukrainian identity, including by enforcing a Russian school curriculum and renaming streets. They are requiring residents to obtain Russian passports to apply for certain jobs and benefits.

Source: HRW

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Civilian Casualties Mount in Ukraine Amid Intensifying Missile and Drone Attacks

The United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) today expressed alarm over intensifying missile and drone attacks and mounting civilian casualties across Ukraine.

Earlier today, Russian armed forces launched dozens of missiles and drones against targets across Ukraine, including in Kyiv, Kharkiv and Mykolaiv. The weapons or falling debris from their interception caused deaths, injuries and damage to civilian property and infrastructure. According to local officials, at least five civilians were killed and dozens were injured. Multiple homes were damaged or destroyed.

In Kyiv’s Holosiivskyi District weapon remnants struck an 18-story apartment building, causing a fire that gutted apartments on several floors and killed at least four civilians. Local residents interviewed by HRMMU said powerful explosions shook the neighborhood in the middle of the morning rush hour.

In Mykolaiv, a suspected missile struck an area with individual private houses, killing one local resident and causing significant damage to dozens of private houses.

In its monthly update on the protection of civilians (LINK), released today, HRMMU reported the continued increase in civilian casualties attributed to widespread missile and drone attacks in urban areas across Ukraine.

In January 2024, HRMMU documented 641 casualties (158 killed and 483 injured), marking a 37% increase since November of 2023 after which the previously observed downward trend throughout 2023 was reversed. Concurrently, child casualties more than doubled during the same period, with 40 children killed or injured in January compared to 18 in November.

The proportion of children killed or injured tends to be higher in attacks occurring far from the frontline, as many families have evacuated from frontline communities. Almost two years into Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine, more than 10,000 civilians have been killed and nearly 20,000 injured.

Source: OHCHR

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Russia has recruited as many as 15,000 Nepalis to fight its war. Many returned traumatized. Some never came back.

This article features a new Russian strategy of recruiting foreigners to join the Russian military.  It exposes the recruitment of Nepali men, many of whom have died in the fighting.  Complete narrative is found in the link. 

Ramchandra Khadka stood in front of a temple in the middle of Kathmandu, Nepal, praying for his fellow countrymen who are fighting for Russia in Moscow’s war against Ukraine.

As the ceremonial bells rang and the sweet smell of incense filled the air, he lit candles and offered flowers to a deity. All he wants is for his Nepali friends to survive the brutal war.

The 37-year-old recently returned to Nepal after suffering injuries on the front lines in Ukraine. He told CNN he witnessed horrific scenes and regrets his decision to join the Kremlin’s army as a foreign mercenary.

Russia’s war in Ukraine is not the first battle Khadka has fought. He was among Nepal’s Maoist rebels, who fought a bloody war with the country’s forces for 10 years from the mid-1990s. He then went to Afghanistan after being hired by a private military contractor to assist NATO forces in the country. He thought he had experienced it all in his lifetime – bloodshed, death and pain. But, some 17 years after the Maoist war ended, with no hope of a job in Nepal, he decided to fly to Russia to join the country’s military for money.

“I didn’t join the Russian military for pleasure. I didn’t have any job opportunities in Nepal. But in hindsight, it wasn’t the right decision. We didn’t realize we would be sent to the frontlines that quickly and how horrible the situation would be,” Khadka said.

He arrived in Moscow in September last year. After only two weeks of training, he said, he was sent to the front lines in Bakhmut – a town in eastern Ukraine that saw some of the heaviest fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces – with a gun and a basic kit.

“There isn’t an inch of land in Bakhmut that’s not affected by bombs. All the trees, shrubs, and greenery… they are all gone. Most of the houses have been destroyed. The situation there is so gruesome that it makes you want to cry,” he recalled.

Khadka was deployed to Bakhmut twice and spent a total of one month there. During his second deployment, he was struck by a bullet in his hip. After he was rescued and taken a few hundred meters back from the front line, he was hit by shrapnel from a cluster bomb.

“I still get a headache when I think about the terrible scenes I saw in the war zone,” he said.

He is one of as many as 15,000 Nepali men to have joined the Russian military, multiple sources have told CNN, after the Russian government last year announced a lucrative package for foreign fighters to join the country’s military.

The package included at least $2,000 salary a month and a fast-tracked process to obtain a Russian passport. Nepal’s passport is ranked one of the worst in the world for global mobility, below North Korea, according to an index created by global citizenship and residence advisory firm Henley & Partners, and the Himalayan nation is among the world’s poorest, with a per capita GDP of $1,336 for 2022, according to World Bank data.

The Nepali government says about 200 of its citizens are fighting for the Russian army and that at least 13 Nepalis have been killed in the war zone. But lawmakers and rights’ campaigners in Nepal say those official estimates vastly underestimate the real numbers.

A prominent opposition Nepali lawmaker and former foreign minister, Bimala Rai Paudyal, told the upper house of the county’s parliament on Thursday that between 14,000 and 15,000 Nepalis are fighting on the front lines, citing testimony from men returning from the war zone, and called on the Russian authorities to provide the figures.

“The Russian government must have the data of how many foreign fighters have joined the Russian army and how many Nepalis are fighting for Russia,” she said.

Four Nepali fighters are currently being held as prisoners of war (POWs) by Ukraine, according to Nepal’s foreign ministry.

The Russian foreign ministry has not responded to CNN’s questions about the number of Nepalis recruited by the Russian army and how many of them have died so far.

Kritu Bhandari, a Kathmandu-based politician and social campaigner, has become the leader of a group of family members of Nepali men fighting in Russia. She says around 2,000 families have approached her in recent weeks asking for help either to get in touch with their missing loved ones or to bring those who are still in contact home to the small South Asian nation.

Hundreds of families say their relatives in Russia haven’t been in contact for many weeks or months, according to Bhandari.

‘I try not to think of the worst’

Januka Sunar’s husband went to Russia three months ago to join the military. He hasn’t been in touch with his family in Nepal for two-and-a-half months.

The last time Sunar spoke to her husband, she told CNN, he said that the Russian military was moving him to a different location and that they would not allow him to take his mobile phone with him. He didn’t tell her where he was being relocated to.

Sunar said her husband, the sole breadwinner in the house, who used to work making silver jewelry and utensils, had joined the Russian army solely for money – to build a better life for the family. She has two children who live with her in a town on the outskirts of Kathmandu.

CNN met her along with other family members of those in Russia, who had gathered at the headquarters of the ruling Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Center) in the Nepali capital to try to put pressure on the country’s top politicians to repatriate their loved ones.

“If the worst has happened to him, it’ll be worse than going to hell for us. We don’t have a future for the rest of our lives,” she said.

Sunar is desperate for help from the authorities. “We just want information – from our government or the Russian government. Just tell us about his condition. Please see if you can rescue him. If they want to keep him there… .at least we want to know how he is… and speak to him,” she said.

CNN met her along with other family members of those in Russia, who had gathered at the headquarters of the ruling Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Center) in the Nepali capital to try to put pressure on the country’s top politicians to repatriate their loved ones.

“If the worst has happened to him, it’ll be worse than going to hell for us. We don’t have a future for the rest of our lives,” she said.

Sunar burst into tears as she shared how she was unable to explain to her children where their father is.

“They say: ‘Where is our dad, mummy? All of our friend’s dads who went abroad for work have returned… when is our dad coming back? We want to talk to our dad just for once.’”

Sunar is desperate for help from the authorities. “We just want information – from our government or the Russian government. Just tell us about his condition. Please see if you can rescue him. If they want to keep him there… .at least we want to know how he is… and speak to him,” she said.

Recruits ‘from global south’

After analyzing the TikTok profiles of 10 Nepali men who travelled to Russia to join the army, CNN used satellite imagery to geolocate them to the Avangard training center, a military academy outside of Moscow.

The academy was designed as a youth military academy and describes itself as a “patriotic education” center. It has been re-outfitted into a training academy for foreign mercenaries entering the ranks of the Russian army. This was where Khadka received his brief training.

“Over here they teach you how to assemble and fire guns,” explained Shishir Bishwokarma, a Nepali soldier who has documented his journey to Russia and life at the training camp on YouTube.

The geolocated social media video shows an indoor wrestling gym converted into a training area for familiarization with small arms such as AK-47s, while the gym’s old Moscow Oblast flag appears to have been switched out for the colors of the Russian defense ministry.

A Nepali soldier in Russia, who did not want to be named for security reasons, told CNN he had trained on rocket launchers, bombs, machine guns, drones, and tanks while staying at Avangard.

The soldier described his fellow academy cadets as coming from across the global south. He cited Afghan, Indian, Congolese and Egyptian classmates, among others. Class photos from Avangard posted on social media show dozens of what appear to be South Asian soldiers with native Russian instructors.

Following their basic training at Avangard, CNN traced at least two soldiers to a nearby secondary base known as the Alabino Polygon.

At this mechanized infantry training compound, which was geolocated with the help of the Bellingcat Discord community, a handful of South Asian soldiers in full combat gear appear to be familiarizing themselves with operating alongside armored vehicles and heavy weaponry, as well as packing gear bags and organizing into larger units among Russian soldiers.

One of Bishwokarma’s videos shows drones flying over the center of the Avangard academy complex, while he narrates “now guys, we have come to a drone class.”

“We don’t understand Russian, but they have turned on Russian movies in our waiting room so that we can watch,” he explains.

Multiple Nepalis enlisting in the Russian army have stated that they don’t speak Russian but explain that instructors at Avangard seek to accommodate this by training the men in English.

That language barrier has played a large part in the deaths of many Nepalis on the front lines, said Khadka, the former fighter.

“Sometimes you can’t even understand where you’re supposed to be going or how to get there,” he said.

Khadka said he used to communicate with Russian officers by using a voice-translating app – and many times, just hand signals.

Several returned Nepali fighters who spoke with CNN blamed Russia for using them as cannon fodder in the war.

“It’s the Nepalis and other foreign fighters that are actually fighting in the front of war zones. The Russians position themselves a few hundred meters back as support,” said Suman Tamang, who returned from Russia last week.

“Some of my friends were mistreated by the Russian commander when they tried to voice their concerns,” Tamang recalled.

The 39-year-old also said that the Ukrainians were attacking their position with drones, something his unit didn’t have. He blamed the lack of modern fighting machinery for their losses.

CNN has reached out to the Russian defense and foreign ministries about Tamang’s claims.

Some fighters claim that while they signed up for the money, they do not support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“It’s not right to invade another country. Everyone has the right to live. All countries should respect the sovereignty of another country. It’s not right for people of any country to be killed in such a hideous way. It’s not right for tens of thousands of people to die for the interest of a few,” Khadka said.

Each year, around 400,000 people are estimated to enter the Nepali job market with limited skills and opportunities. A staggering 19.2% youth unemployment rate among individuals aged 15 to 29 underscores the hurdle the younger demographic faces in the pursuit of employment.

Bonuses paid

Nepali men who want to join the Russian army first travel to Russia on a tourist visa. Most of the people CNN spoke with said they went via the United Arab Emirates or India. After landing in Moscow, they go to a recruitment center, where a physical checkup is done, they said.

“The recruiters get very happy when Nepalis show up,” a former fighter said.

A one-year contract is signed and the men get a Russian bank account, where at least $2,000 monthly salary is deposited. Many fighters say bonuses were also given – and the longer they stay on the front lines, the more bonuses they receive. Some say they made up to $4,000 a month.

Several of the Nepalis who fought for Russia said they had received only brief training before being sent into combat.

Such a short training period before sending Nepali soldiers to fight “shows the desperation of the Russian government and their need for human resources on the frontline,” said Binoj Basnyat, a retired major general from the Nepali army, who now works as a strategic analyst.

CNN spoke with one Nepali man who recently left Russia after spending three months there. CNN is referring to him by the pseudonym Ram Sharma for his security.

Like many Nepalis who fled Russia without being discharged from their contracts, Sharma has no idea how to withdraw the money he still has in a Russian bank account.

“After I escaped from the military camp, it took me three days to get to Moscow. I was worried that by going to a bank to withdraw the money, I would risk getting caught,” he said. “I can access my bank account on my phone, but I don’t know if it’s possible to transfer that money overseas.”

Agents in Nepal charge between $5,000 and $7,000 to arrange a tourist visa for an individual through a third country, according to the police.

‘I’m done with fighting wars’

The Nepali government has now banned its citizens from traveling to Russia for work and has implemented stricter requirements for people trying to go to countries such as the UAE on a visit visa.

Nepal’s foreign ministry in December urged Russia to stop recruiting Nepali citizens and send home the remains of those killed in the war.

“We are very much concerned that Russia has recruited our citizens and sent them to war zones in vulnerable situations,” Nepali Foreign Minister N. P. Saud told CNN in an interview in his office in Kathmandu.

The minister said that Russia’s deputy foreign minister had last month assured him that “they will sort it out” with regard to Nepal’s concerns but acknowledged that Moscow hasn’t taken any steps so far.

“We don’t have any information that Russia is doing anything,” he said, stressing that Moscow should “respect Nepal’s point of view.”

“We have a traditional treaty with a few countries for the recruitment of our citizens in the military of those countries,” he explained. “But we don’t have such treaty with Russia for such type of military or security recruitment.”

The minister said he had asked to travel to Moscow to discuss the issue but was waiting for an invitation from the Russian government.

Saud also said Nepal was talking to Ukrainian officials about releasing the four Nepali POWs taken by Ukraine from the front lines. He said Ukraine had some “reservations” and “legal questions” which the Nepali government was working to address.

It’s unclear if there will be any legal consequences against individuals who either defy the Nepali government’s ban to travel to Russia for work or who take part in combat operations against Ukraine.

Kathmandu police said they broke up a racket last month, leading to the arrest of 18 people allegedly involved in sending Nepali men to join the Russian army.

They raided several hotels where those arrested were staying and confiscated dozens of passports and several hundred thousand Nepali rupees, the police said.

But Nepalis haven’t stopped flying to Russia.

Sharma, the man who recently returned, said he had met a few Nepalis in Moscow who had just arrived and were looking to get into the army.

Kathmandu police chief Bhupendra Bahadur Khatri said the number of Nepalis going to a third country on a visit visa to eventually fly to Russia had slowed but hadn’t completely stopped.

Basnyat, the analyst, blames political instability and rising unemployment in Nepal as a major factor driving Nepalis to seek out dangerous employment in Russia.

More than 15% of its people live below the poverty line. The estimated unemployment rate in 2022 was 11.1%, according to the World Bank, compared with 10.6% in 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic. Tens of thousands of Nepalis travel to Gulf countries for work every year, with international remittances amounting to nearly 23% of the country’s GDP. An overwhelming 70% of the country’s workforce is employed in the informal sector, exposing them to heightened job insecurity and limited protections.

Khadka is also planning to go to the Middle East as a migrant worker once he recovers from his conflict injuries.

“I want to do commercial farming in Nepal but it’s proving next to impossible for me to take a loan. I’m looking to go to one of the Gulf countries. I’m done with fighting wars,” he said.

 Source: CNN

UPDATES ON INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT FOR UKRAINE

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European Council conclusions on the multiannual financial framework and Ukraine, 1 February 2024

The European Council reached agreement on the revision of the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2021-2027 as outlined herewith. All figures, unless otherwise specified, are in current prices.

Support for Ukraine

1. The European Council underlines the need to ensure, together with partners, stable, predictable and sustainable financial support for Ukraine for the period 2024-2027. To contribute to the recovery, reconstruction and modernisation of the country, foster social cohesion and progressive integration into the Union, with a view to possible future Union membership, a Ukraine Facility for the period 2024-2027 will be set up.

2. For the period 2024-2027, the sum of the overall resources made available from the Facility will not exceed EUR 50 billion, of which:

i) EUR 33 billion in the form of loans guaranteed by extending until 2027 the existing Union budget guarantee, over and above the ceilings, for financial assistance to Ukraine available until the end of 2027.

ii) EUR 17 billion in the form of non-repayable support, under a new thematic instrument the Ukraine Reserve, set up over and above the ceilings of the MFF 2021-27. Potential revenues could be generated under the relevant Union legal acts, concerning the use of extraordinary revenues held by private entities stemming directly from the immobilised Central Bank of Russia assets.

1. In order to optimise the use of the available amounts, unused commitment and payment appropriations under this instrument will be automatically carried over to the following year. The portion of the annual amount stemming from the previous year will be drawn on first.

2. The European Council stresses the need to foster Ukraine’s ownership of its recovery and reconstruction efforts by means of a Plan to be prepared by the Ukrainian Government that will set out the reform and investment agenda of Ukraine on its path towards EU accession. The widest possible participation in the overall Ukraine recovery and reconstruction effort from donors outside the European Union will be strongly encouraged even before the adoption of the Plan.

3. A precondition for the support for Ukraine under the Facility shall be that Ukraine continues to uphold and respect effective democratic mechanisms, including a multi-party parliamentary system, and the rule of law, and to guarantee respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities. In implementing the Facility, the Commission and Ukraine shall take all the appropriate measures to protect the financial interests of the Union, in particular regarding the prevention, detection and correction of fraud, corruption, conflicts of interests and irregularities.

4. The Council will play a key role in the governance of the Ukraine Facility. In this sense, a Council Implementing Decision shall be adopted by qualified majority for the adoption and amendments of the Ukraine Plan and for the approval and the suspension of payments based on the relevant assessments and proposals by the Commission.

5. On the basis of the Commission annual report on the implementation of the Ukraine Facility, the European Council will hold a debate each year on the implementation of the Facility with a view to providing guidance. If needed, in two years the European Council will invite the Commission to make a proposal for review in the context of the new MFF.

Source: EU

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Support for the energy sector: Ukraine receives yet another 25 cargoes of aid from Azerbaijan 

Under the coordination of the Ministry of Energy, in January 2024, Ukraine received another batch of aid from Azerbaijani partners, in particular, 25 cargoes of power equipment for restoration works.

This is the fourth tranche of aid from Azerbaijan, which includes transformer substations, a current transformer, wires, disconnectors and other equipment for restoration and repair activities.

"We thank our partners for this support. The equipment provided will be used by Ukrainian power engineers to restore facilities that continue to be subjected to enemy shelling, particularly in the frontline regions. The work carried out allows us to maintain stable operation of the power system and meet the needs of consumers in electricity and heat supply," said Minister of Energy of Ukraine German Galushchenko.

The equipment received from Azerbaijan in November 2023 and January 2024 was distributed among 24 energy companies, namely electricity distribution system operators, heat supply companies, gas, coal and nuclear industries.

In total, since March 2022, Ukraine has received 92 shipments of power equipment from Azerbaijan with a total weight of over 1,585 tonnes, including 51 power transformers, 111 transformer substations and other equipment. Thanks to this assistance from our partners, a large-scale repair campaign was carried out in Ukraine, with more than 2.2 GW of capacity added to the power grid.

Source: Govt. Ukraine

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 Dnipro: EU provides Ukraine with modern mine-clearing machine

In the framework of the latest Ukraine visit by High Representative/Vice-President (HR/VP) Josep Borrell, the State Special Transport Service of Ukraine received a DOK-ING MV-10 mine-clearing system.

This is the latest delivery in the framework of the European Union’s EUR 25 million support package for humanitarian demining in Ukraine announced at the EU-Ukraine Summit of February 2023. The package is designed to meet the urgent needs of Ukraine’s state mine action operators, ranging from basic equipment for demining teams to pyrotechnic vehicles and robotic demining systems.

“While fighting off the aggressor, Ukraine is at the same time already rebuilding. Its mine action operators are taking on the extremely dangerous but essential task of clearing liberated land from the deadly mines Russian aggressors left behind. We are honoured to make the work of Ukrainian de-miners safer and more efficient with this European equipment. Together we can help save lives and contribute to a better future for Ukraine”, said High Representative/Vice-President (HR/VP) Josep Borrell

The de-mining system MV-10 clears Anti-Personnel as well as Anti-Tank mines and other unexploded ordnance and is notably suitable to treat large areas. Thanks to a remote control it is particularly safe to operate. It can demine up to 4000 sqm per hour, including on steep slopes. This EU demining support also includes a dedicated training course for Ukrainian operators who will work on the MV-10 system. “We are grateful for the European Union’s help. This equipment will improve the capabilities of our forces and allow sappers to demine de-occupied territories faster and safer. The Russian aggression has left behind many explosive objects in Ukraine, and demining will take decades. Technological solutions will accelerate this work”, commented Head of Administration of the State Special Transport Service of Ukraine Major General Bohdan Bondar

Due to Russia’s war of aggression, Ukraine is among the countries most contaminated by mines and explosive remnants of war worldwide.

Demining of areas liberated from Russian occupation is essential for Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction. It allows for the safe return of the civilian population and relaunch of economic activities, notably in the transport, trade, and agricultural sectors.

Source: ECHO

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Can the EU do more to support Ukraine?

With US aid for Ukraine increasingly unstable, the German chancellor thinks EU member states should step up their support. But what more can the EU really do?

Before flying off to the US where he met President Joe Biden in Washington on Friday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said the war in Ukraine would be a key issue. "The question now is how Europe, but also the US, can consolidate support for Ukraine," he said, adding that there was currently not enough help coming from the US and Europe.

The EU recently approved a €50-billion (ca. $54 billion) support package for Ukraine, in an attempt to send a signal to the US. European Council President Charles Michel said afterwards the deal showed that the EU was "taking leadership and responsibility in support for Ukraine," as it knew what "is at stake."

For his part, Biden has spent months trying to get a military aid package for Ukraine past Congress. On Wednesday, the Senate failed to pass a vote approving $60 billion in wartime aid to Ukraine. Even if the package eventually passes, it's unclear when the aid would be released. There has been concern in Europe for some time that the US could eventually cease providing support to Ukraine altogether.

EU support mainly for civilian purposes

The EU aid package, which Hungary blocked for months, is intended to help Ukraine through the period from 2024 to 2027, in the form of grants and loans. But as Bruno Lete, a visiting professor for trans-Atlantic relations at the College of Europe in Bruges, pointed out, it's primarily earmarked for civilian purposes, such as paying the salaries of teachers or administrators.

Even though EU states are catching up in terms of pledged military aid, the US remains the largest donor, having provided the equivalent of €44 billion according to figures from the Kiel Institute for the World Economy on December 7. Josep Borrell, the EU's foreign policy chief, said at the end of January that the EU and its member states had so far provided a total of €28 billion in military aid to Ukraine.

Aid from the US was vital for Ukraine, Lete told DW. Camille Grand of the European Council on Foreign Relations also said that less aid from the US could become a problem for the EU. Grand, a former assistant secretary general for defense investment at NATO, said that though Europe had caught up in terms of military aid, it was still unable to provide the same level of support as the US.

Could the EU do more for Ukraine?

In recent weeks, Chancellor Scholz has made it clear several times that he does not think all the EU member states are doing enough when it comes to military aid for Ukraine.

The EU institutions are also concerned by the issue of military aid. Ahead of last week's EU summit, the European External Action Service conducted a survey of aid pledges for Ukraine. An EU ambassador told DW that 20 of the 27 member states had responded, and 13 of these had provided concrete figures. 

Could the EU do more for Ukraine?

In recent weeks, Chancellor Scholz has made it clear several times that he does not think all the EU member states are doing enough when it comes to military aid for Ukraine.

The EU institutions are also concerned by the issue of military aid. Ahead of last week's EU summit, the European External Action Service conducted a survey of aid pledges for Ukraine. An EU ambassador told DW that 20 of the 27 member states had responded, and 13 of these had provided concrete figures.

Member states disagree as to extent of aid

Lete said the 27 member states did not have the same understanding of aid. He explained that many Eastern European countries, especially the Baltic states, believe Ukraine should be given everything it needed to win the war, whereas other states only want to provide enough resources for self-defense.

Lete doubted whether the EU would be able to compensate if US aid dried up, adding that Europe lacked the necessary military capacities. He said the arms industry was not in a position to produce enough material to meet Ukrainian demand.

Grand also pointed out that the EU took too long to make decisions and to conclude agreements. This is why, for example, the million rounds of ammunition that the EU had promised Ukraine by March would not be delivered on time. Grand said an improvement was in sight, but the production levels of the European arms industry remained too low in some areas.

At the post summit press conference, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said at least 520,000 artillery shells would be sent to Ukraine by the end of March. At the same time, she announced a strategy for the defense industry, which she said would lead to better coordination at European level.

Source: DW

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