Weekly Update #63
May 15

Russian occupation authorities seized the cathedral of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine in Simferopol as oppression of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church continues in Russian-occupied Crimea. The Commissioner of the Crimean Eparchy of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, Metropolitan Kliment of Simferopol, and Crimean journalist Andriy Shchekun reported on May 11 that representatives of the Russian State Property Fund of the Republic of Crimea and other occupation authorities broke down the doors of the church and began stealing the property of the cathedral. ISW has previously reported on Russia’s religious repression throughout occupied Ukraine.

Worries grow about Ukraine nuke plant amid evacuations. Anxiety about the safety of Europe’s largest nuclear power plant grew Sunday after the Moscow-installed governor of the Ukrainian region where it is located ordered civilian evacuations, including from the city where most plant workers live. The evacuations ordered by the Russia-backed governor of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia province, Yegeny Balitsky, raised fears that fighting in the area would intensify. Balitsky on Friday ordered civilians to leave 18 Russian-occupied communities, including Enerhodar, home to most of the plant staff. More than 1,500 people had been evacuated from two unspecified cities in the region as of Sunday, Balitsky said. The Ukrainian General Staff confirmed the evacuation of Enerhodar was underway.

Russian forces reportedly plan to “evacuate” Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) staff to Russia. Ukrainian nuclear energy operator Energoatom reported on May 11 that Russian occupation authorities plan to “evacuate” about 3,100 people from Enerhodar. Energoatom reported that the Russian occupation authorities are discussing the removal of 2,700 employees (and their families) of the ZNPP who signed contracts with the fake “Operating Organization of Zaporizhzhia NPP” or another Rosatom company. Enerhodar stated that Russian forces have prohibited ZNPP employees from leaving the city since the start of the occupation, and the Ukrainian General Staff noted that Russian forces have already deported some families of ZNPP employes from Enerhodar to Rostov Oblast.

The IAEA team observed that there have been fewer staff on-site over the past week, but they were still able to confirm that essential personnel working in the main control rooms were available and present during each shift.

The IAEA experts were informed that the past week’s reduced number of staff was due to the recent holiday period and the current situation in the region, with plant management adding that it remained a priority to have sufficient staff to meet all relevant regulatory requirements, including those for nuclear and industrial safety.

Director General Grossi expressed concern that the challenging staffing situation could affect the ZNPP’s ability to properly maintain systems that are important for nuclear safety and security.

Ukraine says it has retaken territory near embattled eastern city of Bakhmut. Ukrainian military commanders said Friday that their troops had recaptured more territory from Russian forces at the scene of the war’s longest and bloodiest battle, for the eastern city of Bakhmut, but it wasn’t clear if this marked the start of Kyiv’s long-expected counteroffensive.

Russia’s Defense Ministry, meanwhile, said Kyiv had stepped up attacks north of the region.

The 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) of territory retaken by Ukrainian forces south of Bakhmut this week represented a significant gain and will protect an important supply chain, according to commanders of Ukraine’s 3rd Separate Assault Brigade, a special forces unit that led the attack.

The battle for Bakhmut, once a salt-mining town, has been grinding on for eight months.

Sources: ISW

Associated Press

IAEA

IDP TRACKING

A shelling on 17 April damaged a health care facility in the Nikopol raion Damages were also reported following a shelling that affected health care facilities in Sloviansk Druzhkivka and elsewhere in the Donetsk oblast In the Sumy oblast, 39 health care facilities were damaged, and in the Mykolayiv oblast, 98 health care facilities were damaged or destroyed by 21 April.

The cooperation of the Ministry of Health and the European Commission led to the evacuation of 19 Ukrainians for specialized treatment in clinics in Croatia, marking the first instance of cooperation on medical evacuation to the country Another 38 citizens of Ukraine were transported to Poland thanks to support from the Canadian Foundation In addition to facilitating medical evacuations, the cooperation creates a unique opportunity for Ukrainian doctors to study and exchange practical experience with their foreign colleagues.

Source: WHO

CIVILIAN CASUALTIES

(As of May 7, 2023)

Total civilian casualties from 24 Feb 2022 - 7 May 2023

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has recorded

23,606 civilian casualties in the country. This included 8,791 killed and 14,815 injured.

6,820 killed and 12,179 injured in territory controlled by the Government when casualties occurred;
1,971 killed and 2,636 injured in territory occupied by the Russian Federation when casualties occurred.

Civilian casualties from 1 to 7 May 2023

OHCHR recorded 221 civilian casualties in Ukraine:

58 killed (33 men, 16 women, 1 boy, as well as 8 adults whose sex is not yet known); and
163 injured (62 men, 33 women, 3 boys, 2 girls, as well as 63 adults whose sex is not yet known).

Source: United Nations

THE HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE

President von der Leyen visits Kyiv, announces new package of sanctions against Russia

On 9 May, Europe Day, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen visited Kyiv. She met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and discussed with Ukrainian leadership the country’s progress on the EU path. “We continue to do everything in our power to erode Putin’s war machine and his revenues”, she stressed, announcing the 11th package of sanctions against Russia whose focus is on cracking down on circumvention, together with the international partners. Speaking at the Accountability Summit, she underlined that the EU supported the creation of a dedicated tribunal to try Russia's crime of aggression, and has been setting up an International Centre for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine.

The focus of this package is now on cracking down on circumvention. The European Commission President outline three elements of the new sanctions package, namely:

There will be more products added to the transit ban. Advanced tech products of aircraft parts that ow go to third countries via Russia will be prohibited.
There has been a growth of highly unusual trade flows between the EU and third countries, which end up in Russia, which is a way of circumventing EU sanctions. EU countries will be asked to sanction those exports.
The third element is to ban ‘shadow’ entities from Russia and third countries who are found to be circumventing EU sanctions.

President van der Leyden also cited that they are extending support to Ukraine in their efforts to become EU members. Ukraine has been religiously working on the steps that will launch Ukraine’s accession negotiations.

EU Assistance to Ukraine 2022-23

Sources: European Commission

European Commission Factsheet

HUMANITARIAN RESPPNSE FUNDING STATUS

Italian President assures Ukraine of support

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in Rome ahead of talks on Saturday with Pope Francis at the Vatican, received assurances from Italian leaders of continued military and other aid as his country fights to liberate itself from Russia’s military invasion launched last year.

Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni staunchly backs military and other aid for Ukraine.

But while her far-right Brothers of Italy party fiercely champions the principle of national sovereignty, Meloni has had to contend with leaders of two coalition partners who have openly professed for years their admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin. Coalition ally Silvio Berlusconi, a former premier, has boasted of his friendship with Putin, while another government ally, League leader Matteo Salvini, has questioned the value of economic sanctions against Russia.

Since the war began, Italy has provided about 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) in military and financial aid, as well as humanitarian assistance.

Source: Associated Press

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Germany announces $3 billion military aid package for Ukraine

Germany will provide Ukraine with additional military aid worth more than 2.7 billion euros ($3 billion), including tanks, anti-aircraft systems and ammunition, the government said Saturday.

The announcement came as preparations were underway in Berlin for a possible first visit to Germany by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy since Russia invaded his country last year.

Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said that the latest package of arms demonstrates Germany’s serious support to Ukraine.

While Zelenskyy’s visit on Sunday has yet to be officially confirmed, it would be a sign that relations between Ukraine and Germany have improved markedly after a rocky patch. Kyiv has long been suspicious of Germany’s reliance on Russian energy and support for the Nord Stream gas pipelines circumventing Ukraine,

Though slow to provide military aid, Germany has since become one of the biggest suppliers of arms to Ukraine, crucially giving the green light for deliveries of modern battle tanks like its own Leopard 1 and 2, along with sophisticated anti-aircraft systems needed to fend off drone and missile attacks.

Source: Associated Press

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Ukraine continues The Black Sea Grain Initiative

The Black Sea Grain Initiative continues to be a focus of Ukraine activity, with support from the World Food Program, which remains committed to procuring grain and other foodstuff in Ukraine and exporting it through the Black Sea Ports.

On 25 April, MV Akdeniz M left the Odesa port carrying 30,000 mt of wheat for Ethiopia. Another WFP vessel, MV Glorious Sea set sail on 17 April, carrying 24,000 mt of wheat for Yemen from the Chornomorsk port. MV Deniz M is expected to sail this month to deliver 30,000 mt of wheat for Ethiopia through Djibouti.

To date, 20 WFP-chartered vessels transported over 595,000 mt of wheat through various Black Sea ports supporting Ethiopia (42%), Yemen (24%), Afghanistan (21%), Somalia (9%), and Kenya (4%).

As the grain price in the global market is heavily influenced bthe level of Ukraine’s export, the importance of keeping the Black Sea corridor operational has been hailed by the international community. Continuing food exports from Ukraine is of utmost importance to WFP as grain represents most of the traditional food basket globally – _without it, severe challenges are expected to supply affordable grain to communities in countries facing acute food insecurity.

As the future of BSGI remains unclear after 17 May, WFP continues to explore alternative corridors via the Danube River as part of contingency planning. In March 2023 ahead of the renewal of the BSGI agreement, WFP shipped 30,000 mt of Ukrainian wheat through Constanta, Romania to assess the capacity and timing of this alternative corridor. The vessel, MV Valentina, arrived on 15 March and sailed off on 25 March to support WFP operations in Yemen. Prior to the BSGI, WFP transported total 90,000 mt of wheat through this port.

According to the latest operational figures published by the Joint Coordination Centre, as of 5 May, the total tonnage of grain and other foodstuffs exported from the three Ukrainian ports is 29,501,584 mt. Of this amount, 8.3 million mt is wheat representing 28 percent of the total amount and ranks as the second most exported commodity, just after corn, which represents 50 percent of the total exported.

Source: WFP

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Integration Hub for Internally Displaced Ukrainians opens in Mukachevo

The “Platform of Joint Actions” Integration Hub opened in the city of Mukachevo to facilitate the active inclusion of internally displaced persons in decision-making processes within their host community.

The non- governmental organization “Mariupol Youth Union” developed the hub with the assistance of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency and the European Union. The Integration Hub is hosted in the Centre for Public and National Culture. UNDP supported the project with US$90,000 to overhaul the premises and an additional $15,000 to train the staff. UNHCR contributed $30,000 for the purchase of furniture and equipment.

Zakarpattia Oblast hosts some 147,000 registered internally displaced people, of which 39,000 are hosted in Mukachevo community.

The number of IDPs per capita is amongst the highest in Ukraine. In response to the devastating effects of the February 2022 full-scale invasion, the Mariupol Union of Youth NGO, now relocated in Zakarpattia Oblast founded this hub, to serve as a multifunctional space for all in the community. This hub will provide professional skills trainings, workshops for youth in cooperation with the NGO NEEKA, and serve as a gathering point for the Mukachevo and displaced communities as well as private sector actors and local authorities. It will thereby help promote social cohesion and foster growth and sustainable development in Mukachevo and its environs.

Christophoros Politis, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative in Ukraine, said the hub constitutes a platform for inclusion and engagement in Mukachevo. It is intended to create a space to strengthen cohesion between host communities and displaced people, businesses and civil society organizations, and to demonstrate the positive impact of joint action at local level.

Karolina Lindholm Billing, UNHCR Representative in Ukraine, said the purpose and spirit of this hub are to create a space where locals from Mukachevo, and people who have fled and found safety and a new home there, can come together to get to know each other, learn new skills and contribute to the communities in which they live.

Alejandro Eggenschwiler, Programme Manager at the EU Delegation in Ukraine, said the hub marks another critical step towards building genuinely inclusive communities.

Source: UNDP, UNHCR

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A Model for Diaspora Engagement in Humanitarian Contexts at Country Level: Engagement of the Ukrainian diaspora organizations - Italian Case Study

Since the onset of the crisis in Ukraine, diaspora organizations have quickly raised and released funds and humanitarian aid to those in need, especially in the health, food security, emergency shelter and education sectors. The World Bank projects that remittances to Ukraine, which is the largest recipient in Europe and Central Asia, are expected to rise by over 20 per cent in 2022.

Among the refugees that fled Ukraine, over 173,589 Ukrainians arrived in Italy, as of December 2022. The Italian Government declared the state of emergency for foreign action, until the end of 2022, to ensure Italy’s contribution to the humanitarian aid to affected population. The Ukrainian diaspora in Italy, that mobilized ahead of the conflict, scaled up its activities in parallel with institutional actors to provide logistical support to refugees, carry out advocacy, collect funds and aid, and deliver them to Ukraine.

IOM in Italy has been promoting the inclusion of diaspora voices within the national and local emergency coordination mechanisms that were activated by Italian institutions, such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Labour and Social Policies, the Civil Protection and others.

The need to foster a conducive environment for the Ukrainian diaspora’s active role in response to the crisis. Within this basic principle, an engagement model with the diaspora focused on basically on structured coordination specifically for the purpose of humanitarian purposes. In Italy, this was implemented through a system of conferences, characterized by communication and inclusivity, and a subgranting mechanism aiming at strengthening humanitarian actions of Ukrainian diaspora organizations.

IOM Italy conducted an assessment of this model of engaging diasporas in the humanitarian response by focusing on coordination mechanisms between diaspora organizations and institutional stakeholders in country of residence (CoR) as well as on subgranting mechanisms to fund diasporas’ interventions in country of origin (CoO).

The detailed elements of this mechanism are described in the report (link below), accompanied by specific recommendations on how it can be further improved.

Source: IOM

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Ukraine Collective Site Monitoring Report Brief: Round 7

Background

In July 2022, the Global Camp Coordination and Camp Management Cluster Ukraine coordinated by UNHCR jointly with partners and with technical support from REACH, initiated regular Collective Site Monitoring assessments covering multiple sectors.

Primary data collection conducted by REACH, CCCM partnerі, and Ombudsman Office enumerators is based on key informant interviews carried out with CSs managers or focal points who are knowledgeable about the situation in the CSs.

The Collective Site Monitoring (CSM) is an initiative of the Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM) Cluster in Ukraine implemented by REACH and supported by Cluster partner organizations and Ombudsman Office. It aims at providing a wide range of stakeholders, including humanitarian agencies and Ukrainian authorities, with essential information regarding the situation in collective sites (CSs) hosting Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

In Round 7, 80% of the interviews were conducted through physical visits and 20% were conducted by phone. The objective was to obtain at least 50 interviews per oblast.

The distribution of the assessed sites does not reflect CSs distribution across Ukraine, and the actual coverage relies on partners’ contributions and assistance. Results must be read as indicative only. Out of 1,143 assessed CSs, 1,092 reported actively hosting IDPs at the time of data collection, and 51 indicated that they were not hosting but ready to do so.

The objective was to obtain at least 50 interviews per oblast. Chernihivska, Donetska, Khersonska, Kyivska, and Sumska oblasts have less than 50 CSs; when possible, all were contacted.

KEY FINDINGS

Humanitarian assistance: 58% of the collective sites (СSs) reportedly received humanitarian aid in the 30 days prior to data collection. The least covered were Sumska (13%), Volynska (29%) and Zhytomyrska (33%) oblasts.
Humanitarian needs: Food products remain top of the list of urgent needs, which was reported by 30% of site managers. With the passing of winter, the demand for generators has decreased, but the other most reported needs remain the same, specifically, cleaning materials, site repairs, and kitchen amenities.
Site administration and management: In 93% of the collective sites, internally displaced persons (IDPs) are consulted by the management for decision related to the collective sites’ affairs. 95% of the collective sites reported that complaints and feedback mechanisms were in place.
Shelter and NFI: 79% of collective site managers reported needing at least some rehabilitation, repair, or small construction. In addition, 27% of the collective sites reported a lack of infrastructure for people with disabilities, 47% reported needs in sleeping items, and 32% in clothing.
WASH: 45% of collective site managers reported needing WASH-related repairs (showers, toilet renovations), while 13% reported issues with the drainage system. Showers or toilets were reportedly insufficient in 19% of the CSs, and washing machines were reportedly insufficient in 29% of the CSs.
IDP movement intentions: 89% of the CSs managers reported that residents usually stay more than three months. In 62% of the CSs managers reported that no IDPs planned to leave the site within the next 30 days.
Site closure: Only 1.4% of the CSs managers report foreseeing site closure in the following month, with the most cited reason being the site building resuming its original function (50%), followed by a decrease in IDP numbers and complete check-out of the hosted IDPs (25% each).
Compensation for utility bills: 81% of the managers are aware of the Cabinet of Ministers’ Resolution 261 on compensation for utility services consumed while hosting IDPs. 45% of the CSs received compensation, 37% did not attempt, and 17% tried but were unsuccessful.

Sounrce: UNHCR