Weekly Update #60
April 24

Russian occupation authorities continue to target Ukrainian youth to consolidate societal control of occupied territories. Kherson Occupation Administration Head Vladimir Saldo stated on April 20 that the Coordination Council of the occupied Kherson Oblast branch of the Russian social group “Movement of the First” met for the first time with Russian Minister of Education Sergey Kravstov. Saldo claimed that more than 200 young activists have traveled to youth camps in Russia for vacation and study since the regional Movement of the First group was established in February 2023. He further claimed that the group has established 58 primary organizations in occupied Kherson Oblast to help teachers promote Russian history and patriotism in the classroom.

Russian occupation authorities continue to announce their candidacy for highly performative preliminary elections in occupied territories. Zaporizhia Oblast occupation deputy Vladimir Rogov announced on April 20 that he submitted his candidacy to participate in the All-Russian United Russia Party preliminary voting, which will take place from May 22-28.[68] Rogov urged residents to ensure that Zaporizhia Oblast flourishes by specifically supporting the Kremlin-backed United Russia Party.

Source: ISW

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Russian occupation authorities are continuing to oppress Roman Catholics in occupied Ukraine, likely in an effort to suppress Ukrainian religious institutions beyond Moscow’s control. Head of the Ukrainian Berdyansk City Military Administration Viktoria Halitsina reported on April 22 that Russian forces seized the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in occupied Berdyansk.  Halitsina stated that Russian propagandists accused the clergy of hiding weapons and collaborating with Ukrainian forces because of their previous service as chaplains for the Ukrainian Armed Forces in 2015. ISW has also reported on two other instances of Russian occupation authorities persecuting Roman Catholics in occupied Ukraine.  It has previously been reported on Russian authorities’ weaponization of religion in occupied territories as part of an ongoing cultural genocide.

Current fighting indicate:

• Russian forces continued to advance around Bakhmut on April 22, although Russian forces have not completed a turning movement around the city.

• Russian forces continued to conduct offensive operations along the Avdiivka-Donetsk front and conducted a limited ground attack in western Donetsk Oblast.

• Russian authorities have made headway in their attempts to compel international recognition of Russian ownership over the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP)

Source: ISW

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Ukraine "will become a NATO member," alliance chief reaffirms

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg reaffirmed on Friday that Ukraine will join the military alliance, adding that all NATO allies have agreed that the country should be a member.

"All NATO allies have agreed that Ukraine will become a NATO member, but the main focus now is of course how to ensure that Ukraine prevails," Stoltenberg told reporters at Ramstein Air Base, without giving a definitive date of when this would happen.  

On Thursday, the secretary general was in Ukraine's capital Kyiv, where he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. He said the two discussed NATO's strong support for Ukraine and that Zelensky had accepted his invitation to attend the NATO summit in Lithuania in July.

Stoltenberg, who was speaking ahead of a Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting on Friday, said he expects NATO allies and partners to announce additional support for Ukraine, stressing the need for not only "new platforms" but also sustaining the current platforms.

"We need ammunition, we need spare parts, we need fuel, we need maintenance, we need repair, we need all the sustainment to ensure that all the systems which are over there are delivering the effect that they should," Stoltenberg said.

Source: CNN

THE HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE

Enhancing Ukraine's capacity to prepare for next winter - Japan and UNDP handed 77 powerful generators to support critical infrastructure across the country 

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ukraine, in partnership with the Government of Japan, today announced the delivery of 77 generators (410 kW, 292 kW, and 160 kW) to representatives of Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kyiv, Kirovohrad, Lviv, Mykolaiv, Odesa, Poltava, Sumy, Kharkiv, Cherkasy, and Chernihiv oblasts. The equipment will ensure the uninterrupted operation of critical infrastructure facilities such as hospitals, water treatment and sewage stations, heating systems and educational institutions.

With up to half of the country's energy infrastructure being destroyed by the Russian attacks, averting an energy crisis is critical to Ukraine's recovery. With funding from the Japanese Government, UNDP is procuring specialized energy equipment to maintain an uninterrupted electricity supply. Five generators were today handed over to Kyiv Oblast representatives, with more equipment to be delivered to communities nationwide in the coming weeks.

The support is part of a larger effort to strengthen the Ukrainian energy sector, which also includes five high-voltage autotransformers for power supply to 4.5 million people; a gas turbine for electricity generation in Kyiv; and over 1,000 generators and power banks to support schools, hospitals, fire and police stations across the country.

Kuninori Matsuda, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Ukraine, re-affirmed Japan’s support for Ukraine “as long as it takes”.  

Source:   UNDP

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Private donations of generators channeled via rescEU energy hub

A delivery of emergency energy support coordinated via the EU’s private donation scheme has arrived in Ukraine. Some 169 generators donated by the Minderoo Foundation in Australia have been transported to Ukraine via the rescEU’s energy hub in Poland.

Worth €1.95 million, these generators come in addition to the 1,000 generators deployed from the rescEU reserve to Ukraine, as announced at the opening of the hub earlier this year. In total, the EU has coordinated some 3,000 power generators to Ukraine via donations from the Member States, private sector, third countries, and its own rescEU reserves.

In parallel, the EU has awarded €114.9 million to Poland for purchasing generators part of this rescEU energy reserve. This is meant not only to support the Ukrainian energy sector, but also to address possible needs of other countries impacted by Russia’s war in Ukraine.

These EU channelled generators range from smaller sizes, capable of powering single households, to much larger models suitable for keeping public buildings and vital community services running such as hospitals and central heating points.

The EU is working on all fronts to support Ukraine and its people with emergency assistance. This includes allocating €630 million in humanitarian aid to Ukraine since the onset of the war, as well more than 87 000 tonnes of in-kind assistance channelled through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism in its biggest operation ever.

Source: ICMP

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The Danish Government enters broad agreement to establish Ukraine Fund in 2023

The Danish Government, together with a broad majority of the Danish Parliament consisting of the Socialist People’s Party, the Danish Democrats, Liberal Alliance, the Conservative People’s Party, the Social Liberal Party, the Danish People's Party, and New Right, have agreed to establish a Ukraine Fund with a total framework of approximately DKK 7 billion in 2023. The fund targets Ukraine’s needs and wishes for a concerted Danish effort, with a focus on military, civil and commercial support. The parties to the agreement also agree that Denmark must remain among the countries that support Ukraine most in proportion to country size. The situation in Ukraine is extremely critical and the need for significant support is urgent. Ukraine’s fight for freedom is a fight for democratic values and society.

The Danish Government has thus joined with a broad majority of the Danish Parliament to establish a fund of approximately DKK 7 billion in 2023.

In addition to this, funding is also allocated in 2024-2027 to help cover the costs of replacements associated with military donations made in 2022 and 2023. The fund will have three components

Military support of Ukraine’s fight for freedom in the form of weapons, other military equipment, training efforts, etc. A framework of approximately DKK 5.4 billion has been allocated in 2023 for military support.

Civil support targeting urgent humanitarian efforts and long-term reconstruction. A framework of DKK 1.2 billion has been allocated in 2023 for civil support in Ukraine and other Eastern European neighbouring countries.

Support for business initiatives that give Danish companies the opportunity to contribute to the reconstruction of Ukraine. A framework of approximately DKK 0.4 billion has been allocated in 2023 for business initiatives. Minister for Finance Nicolai Wammen says:

“Last year we came together for a historic national compromise on Danish security policy. This was necessary in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. With today’s agreement, we are giving over DKK 7 billion more to the effort in Ukraine, and we are doing this in a way that is fiscally responsible. I am pleased that a broad majority of the Danish Parliament is taking responsibility and showing that Denmark stands with Ukraine. Denmark is already one of the countries which, in proportion to our size, supports Ukraine the most. The Government and the parties to the agreement have now ensured that this will remain true.”

The parties to the agreement have agreed to ease fiscal policy by approximately 0.2% of GDP in 2023, which provides DKK 5.6 billion in 2023 that will be used for military and commercial support. The easing of fiscal policy is assessed as feasible within a responsible fiscal policy framework, and a significant tightening of fiscal policy is still planned for 2023 as measured by the one-year fiscal impact.

The parties to the agreement also agree that the framework for civil support will be financed within development assistance.

Source: Danish Government

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$200 Million Grant Supported by the World Bank Will Help Repair Energy Infrastructure in Ukraine

The World Bank announced on Friday, 21 April  $200 million in grant financing for a project that will repair Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. The funds for this project are provided by the Ukraine Relief, Recovery, Reconstruction and Reform Trust Fund, with additional funding of up to $300 million envisaged to come from partners through grants and other contributions as the project expands its scope.

The Restoration Project of Winterization and Energy Resources will support emergency repairs to the electricity transmission and heating infrastructure by urgently procuring critical equipment. Emergency electricity equipment includes autotransformers, transmission transformers, switchgears and circuit breakers, relay protection devices and other equipment. Emergency equipment for the heating infrastructure includes mobile heat-only boilers, mobile mini cogeneration units, as well as other equipment and parts to repair district heating networks.

During the fall and winter months, more than 50 percent of Ukraine’s power infrastructure was damaged, resulting in power outages across the country and contributing to shortages of food, heating, and water. Millions of Ukrainians had limited access to electricity; many areas had only a few hours of supply per day. The energy grids in Kharkivska, Donetska, Khersonska and Zaporizka regions along the war’s frontline have been most affected.

Due to Ukraine’s ongoing efforts to repair the power systems, most power plants have connected back to the grid and there have been almost no major blackouts in major cities over the last month. However, significant damages to transmission substations continue to constrain their output, leading to scheduled load shedding and outages in most region

Restoring the energy grid is a top priority the Government of Ukraine has identified for 2023, as it accounts for 11 percent of estimated needs according to the updated Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA2) released in March.

The Ukraine Relief, Recovery, Reconstruction and Reform Trust Fund (URTF)was set up by the World Bank to coordinate grant financing for sustaining Ukraine’s government functions, delivering services, and implementing relief efforts. The URTF is a flexible platform that allows the World Bank to prioritize and channel funding to the most urgent development needs identified by the Ukrainian government, with current contributions from Austria, Canada, Iceland, Japan, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland.

To date, the World Bank has mobilized more than $23 billion in emergency financing for Ukraine, including commitments and pledges from donors. More than $20 billion of this financing has been disbursed through several projects, including Public Expenditures for Administrative Capacity Endurance (PEACE) Project.

Source: The World Bank

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Ukraine joins the EU Civil Protection Mechanism

On 20 April 2023, Ukraine became a Participating State of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism– the European solidarity framework that helps countries overwhelmed by a disaster.

Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič, officially signed an agreement on behalf of the European Union granting Ukraine full membership of the Mechanism. During his visit, he will participate in the International Summit of Cities and Regions in Kyiv with President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy; Deputy Prime Minister, Olha Stefanishyna; Minister of Internal Affairs, Ihor Klymenko; and Head of Emergency Service, Serhiy Kruk.

The EU Civil Protection Mechanism has channelled emergency assistance to Ukraine from across Europe since the onset of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine in February 2022. In its largest and longest running operation, more than 88,000 tonnes of life-saving equipment, food, and medicines, have been sent to Ukraine via the Mechanism. Most recently, more than 1,000 power generators fully financed by the EU were mobilised to Ukraine from the strategic rescEUenergy reserves. Now, by being a full member, Ukraine will also be able to dispatch aid via the Mechanism at a time another country finds itself in a crisis.

Today the EU is also allocating a further €55 million in humanitarian funding to Ukraine on top of the €145 million already provided earlier this year. This new humanitarian funding will focus on preparing for next winter.

When an emergency overwhelms the response capabilities of a country in Europe and beyond, it can request assistance through the Mechanism. The European Commission plays a key role in coordinating the disaster response worldwide. Since its inception in 2001, the EU Civil Protection Mechanism has been activated for more than 600 emergencies and crises inside and outside the EU. The EU Civil Protection Mechanism aims to strengthen cooperation between the 27 EU countries and now 9 Participating States (Iceland, Norway, Serbia, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Türkiye, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, and most recently Ukraine) on civil protection to improve prevention, preparedness, and response to disasters.

The Mechanism also helps coordinate disaster preparedness and prevention activities of national authorities and contributes to the exchange of best practices. This facilitates the continuous development of higher common standards enabling teams to understand different approaches better and work interchangeably when a disaster strikes.

Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the EU has allocated in total of €685 million in humanitarian aid to Ukraine, including today's €55 million top-up that has been requested by the European Commission and currently under adoption by the EU's Budgetary Authority. EU-funded humanitarian assistance is provided in line with the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence. It is delivered through the UN humanitarian agencies, non-governmental organizations and the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Source: ECHO

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Youngsters become driving force for change in Ukraine

40 teams of youngsters gathered for the “UNICEF Youth for Recovery” event in Kyiv, where they were presented with awards for working to solve issues in their local communities as part of the UPSHIFT programme.

It marked the second time these teams had graduated from the youth innovation programme, after being invited to return.

UPSHIFT is a youth innovations programme implemented by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Participants have the opportunity to receive training according to the methodology based on Human Centered Design, receive funding and eventually turn their ideas into effective projects that bring benefits to communities.

The war in Ukraine in 2022 caused a number of serious humanitarian challenges in all regions of Ukraine. As youth are one of the driving forces in communities, UNICEF decided to engage UPSHIFT graduates to address these challenges. As a result, 40 teams of UPSHIFTers, who had participated in the programme in previous years and had already been trained, volunteered to develop new projects and received funding from UNICEF for their implementation.

UPSHIFT youngsters implemented initiatives in the following areas – helping homeless animals, technological solutions, psycho-emotional support for children and adults, self-reliance in emergency situations, educational and awareness raising initiatives, and support for internally displaced people. 

During the discussion, the youngsters highlighted that it was necessary to create more safe youth spaces where they can spend their free time and implement projects. Young people also need services where they can easily receive psychological support and find new opportunities for development. In response, entrepreneurs shared information about training programmes at their companies and assured the young participants that they would help through youth projects and technical support. 

Source: UNICEF

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Responding to health needs

With the generous assistance of key donors – USAID, Canada, Switzerland, and the EU, the WHO Country Office (CO) in Ukraine took part in a UN interagency humanitarian convoy to deliver medical supplies and medicines to two hospitals in Toretsk, a primary care centre in Kurakhove in the Donetsk region, Velykyi Burluk in the Kharkiv region, and four medical facilities in Zaporizhzhya. The supplies included interagency health kits, kits for the treatment of injuries and emergency surgeries, kits for the treatment of non-infectious diseases, paediatric kits and pneumonia treatment kits.

As of 18 April, the State Emergency Service of Ukraine reported 1564 households and 330 houses remain flooded with transport connections to 30 settlements being disrupted. The seasonal water level rise occurs in the territories of Volyn, Dnipropetorvsk, Zhytomyr, Kyiv, Kirovograd, Rivna, Poltava, Cherkasy, and Chernihiv regions.

UN provided shelter materials and other vital items to 1500 people in a community along the Dripro River in Kherson. “This is the first time we managed to go to this area, only a couple of hundreds meters from the front line, where the level of destruction is appalling,” Denise Brown, Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine.

The development of primary medical care, strategic procurement and medium-term contracts and management of the Medical Guarantee Program are priority areas of work for 2023-2024. Specialist of the National Health Service of Ukraine (NHSU) and WHO identified the following points: formation of a methodology for assessing needs in the field of healthcare; launch of the project on forming the profile of the healthcare institution; refinement of indicators of universal primary medical care coverage; planning the modernization of the Medical Guarantee Program.

Source: WHO

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Creating a window of opportunity for displaced persons in Chernivtsi

Since the beginning of the large-scale aggression of the Russian Federation in Ukraine, 108,690 internally displaced persons (IDPs) have been evacuated to Chernivtsi region, according to local authorities. This region is considered one of the safest due to its location far West and has never been attacked so far.

After Kyiv, Chernihiv, and Kharkiv regions became newly accessible areas, some people returned home. However, for those whose homes were destroyed, there is no place to return to. Many have stayed in the Chernivtsi region but cannot afford to rent accommodation. They have been living in collective centers for internally displaced persons for over a year.

The Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development (ACTED), a French non-profit organization responding in 37 countries experiencing emergencies and crisis situations, with the support of Alliance2015 and its partners (Ayuda en Accion, CESVI, HELVETAS, WELTHUNGERHILFE, People In Need), has been engaged in the rehabilitation of 26 collective centers in Chernivtsi region, in order to host displaced people who have nowhere else to go. Since the escalation of the conflict, restrooms, showers, and kitchens have been renovated. New furniture was also provided, more than 60 units of household appliances were installed and most importantly to face the harsh conditions of the winter, more than 150 windows and 17 doors have been installed in the collective centers in a year.

Collective centers are a unique and specific response in Ukraine. These places are religious sites, schools, universities, basements, any building that could be transformed into a safe haven for people fleeing war and looking for a place to stay overnight or even a few months.

After a year of living in collective centers, people have gotten to know each other and share moments together. Some of the residents of the shelters, who came to the Chernivtsi region temporarily, liked it so much that they decided to settle in the area permanently.

These IDPs are also an economic opportunity for the region. Increasingly, both internally displaced persons and residents of Chernivtsi region are finding common ground. The local authorities perceive the new residents as a resource for the community. They bring new specialists and new jobs, as 18 companies have been relocated to the region. People are ready to stay in the region if there is work as well as decent housing – requiring further rehabilitation work.

Source: ACTED

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The United States Will Invest $20 Million to Further Bolster Transparency in Direct Budget Support Provided to the Government of Ukraine

Announced last week by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), this new funding, which has been made possible by Congress, will further reinforce oversight and accountability of the Ukrainian government’s management of assistance funds that help lay the groundwork for Ukraine’s recovery.

The Ukrainian government relies on budget support to continue supplying emergency services for internally displaced persons and supporting public employees across institutions – from healthcare providers and first responders to education – who deliver critical services to the people of Ukraine. USAID has built a comprehensive and robust level of oversight and accountability into this assistance to monitor the use of funds and prevent and counter corruption to ensure funding reaches Ukrainians in need.

The United States, through USAID in coordination with the U.S. Department of the Treasury, provides direct budget support to the Government of Ukraine through the World Bank on a reimbursement basis, where funding is disbursed only after expenses claimed have been verified by the World Bank. USAID has also engaged Deloitte to work with Ukraine’s Ministry of Finance and other Ukrainian government institutions to review and advise on protocols for the use of direct budget support and to oversee and report on the use of these funds. With the additional funds announced today, USAID will expand on these efforts by continuing the essential monitoring work managed by Deloitte; increase transparency and oversight of financial transfers and disbursements by Ukraine’s government through electronic payment systems and end-user monitoring; and procuring an additional third-party, independent audit of direct budget support payments.

This announcement follows Administrator Samantha Power and Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen’s meetings with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, where they reaffirmed that accountability and transparency remain an utmost priority both to protect U.S. taxpayer dollars and to ensure the funds continue to meet the urgent needs of the Ukrainian people.

Source: USAID

Full list of World Bank Group mobilized support for Ukraine

Financing of Recovery from Economic Emergency in Ukraine (FREE Ukraine)

Supplemental Budget Support (FREE SDLP): $350 million

Bilateral Guarantees: $134 million

Netherlands — $84 million

Sweden — $50 million

Bilateral Grant Financing to FREE Multi Donor Trust Fund: $1,168 million

United States — $1,000 million

UK — $92 million

Norway — $31 million

Denmark — $22 million

Austria — $11 million 

Latvia — $5.5 million

Lithuania — $5.5 million

Iceland — $1 million

Public Expenditures for Administrative Capacity Endurance (PEACE)

Emergency Public Service Support IPF (PEACE): $1,000 million

Bilateral guarantees to PEACE IPF: $1,521 million

UK— $1,450 million

Denmark—  $30 million

Netherlands— $21 million

Latvia— $10 million

Lithuania — $10 million

Bilateral Grant Financing to PEACE MDTF: $15,459 million

US —  $15,300 million

Germany — $51.5 million

Spain — $50.1 million 

Finland — $21.3 million

Ireland — $21.1 million 

Switzerland — $10.3 million

Belgium —  $3.1 million

Iceland — $1.6 million

Ukraine Relief, Recovery, Reconstruction and Reform Trust Fund (URTF)

Includes URTF financing for Health Enhancement and Lifesaving (HEAL) Project

and Repairing Essential Logistics Infrastructure and Network Connectivity (RELINC) Project

$379 million 

Norway — $100 million

Netherlands — $95 million

Canada — $83.5 million 

Switzerland — $58 million

Austria — $21 million 

Sweden — $14 million 

Lithuania — $5 million

Iceland — $2.5 million 

Contributions to Health Enhancement and Lifesaving (HEAL) Project

114 million

Spain —  $104 million 

GFF grant — $10 million

Special Transfer through US Single Donor Trust Fund: $1,700 million

Other World Bank Lending (Restructurings & Current Portfolio) $656 million

Japan Parallel Budget Support Linked World Bank FREE SDPL $600 million

Under preparation for the Second Ukraine Power Transmission Project: $40 million

Total Mobilized to Date $23,121 million

Total Disbursed to Date $20,001 million

HOLY FATHER ON UKRAINE

General Audience - April 19, 2023

E perseveriamo nella vicinanza e nella preghiera per la cara e martoriata Ucraina, che continua a sopportare terribili sofferenze.

Regina Caeli- April 23, 2023

And let us not forget our Ukrainian brothers and sisters, still afflicted by this war.

E non dimentichiamoci dei nostri fratelli e sorelle ucraini, ancora afflitti da questa guerra.

NEWS

Avvenire "I priest of Donbass, forced by the Russians to leave my lands twice" (Italian original)

Avvenire The widows of dead-undead soldiers: "We have no body to cry over" (Italian original)

A wounded boy from Bakhmut was baptized in Lviv

Knights of Columbus and Ukraine: more than a year of solidarity with war victims

Our Church shares the presence of the Risen Christ with Ukraine and invites us to experience Easter joy: His Beatitude Sviatoslav on Sunday of St. Thomas

Father Hryhoriy Nazar about preparations for World Youth Day and pastoral care in Poland

IMAGES FROM CR4U MEMBERS