What are Ukrainians really thinking?
When Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a “special military operation” on Feb. 24, 2022, many expected his invasion of Ukraine would be over within days, or at the most several weeks. Still, Ukraine fought back throughout 2022, forcing Russian troops into humiliating retreats.
However, due to the West’s delays and hesitation in sending the military assistance Ukraine asked for and desperately needed, they have suffered setbacks, including the failure of its 2023 counteroffensive.
On the second anniversary of the invasion, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky promised victory against Russia even as his troops fought on, despite the lack of Western ammunition resulting in recent Russian gains.
After enduring two years of conflict, Ukrainians have shown a mix of optimism and pessimism regarding the war with Russia. While some sources indicate that Ukrainians remain optimistic about their country’s future despite the challenges they face, others suggest a growing sense of pessimism due to concerns about military support and the ongoing conflict.
A growing majority now anticipates that achieving victory will take years. So, in discussions with many of our partner churches, we can sense the predominant feeling among Ukrainians reflects a mix of resilience, trauma, and determination – but with a profound sense of weariness – as you can see in Yana’s blog below…
Yana Losinska, a blogger for a HART ministry partner in Western Ukraine, shares her poignant reflections on the ongoing conflict.
Don’t Lose Hope!
February 24, 2024
Funerals… I’ve already lost count of how many funerals there have been here lately. Almost every week, we bury loved ones, relatives, friends…
Standing over the grave of the nineteenyear – old defender Leonid, who died in Avdiivka, watching his parents and sister wail in grief, I cry in my soul: “Lord, where is the end of this darkness?!”
Two years of war… Cruel, unfair, merciless.
How do we feel? Tired. From all the grief and losses, political actions without results, and the understanding that tomorrow may not exist for many Ukrainians.
There was so much hope in the beginning. The people of Ukraine were united in the fight for freedom and committed heroic deeds. And they continue to do it with all their might. But the hope is less and less…
One military man said, “Lucky were those who died at the beginning of the war…” I think he said this because they did not have time to lose their hope. They didn’t see all the injustice happening now…
I should have written to you with the words, “We are not giving up, we will win, we are strong,”… But not today. On this day, February 24, I want to share with you all the grief that we experience in Ukraine day after day. And to ask you to pray for those who have not yet given up and those who have lost hope…
We cry out to God in our desperation. God is our ultimate hope. Our last hope. Yana
The KEY to HOPE
Everyone needs hope. It serves as a powerful force that helps keep us going when things are difficult, guiding us toward a brighter future.
Hope allows us to rejoice when it is dark because we know that light is coming. Restored hope has the remarkable ability to bring about profound transformations in people’s lives.
Office, We are so thankful for you, your prayers, and your financial gifts. We are also grateful and privileged to partner with a network of National churches in Ukraine, who are working tirelessly to provide God’s love, comfort, and the physical needs of countless thousands of people impacted by this horrific war.
Together, we are helping to restore hope to seemingly hopeless situations. HART’s Mobile Home Project is an excellent example of this.
When a family is handed the key to a new Mobile Home, it becomes a symbol of hope, offering them a sanctuary in the midst of uncertainty. While they rebuild their damaged home, this Mobile Home becomes a haven, providing them with a comfortable and stable living environment that stands in stark contrast to the cold and makeshift shelters they have endured for months.
Once their original house is restored, the Mobile Home will be relocated to another family’s property, enabling them to begin their rebuilding journey. This cycle of support and rebuilding continues, symbolizing a chain of hope and resilience within the community.
We are delighted to share with you that our initial Mobile Homes have been successfully set up. We invite you to view the video below – capturing the heartfelt moments as people receive their “Key” of hope – a sign of resilience amidst the turmoil and destruction brought about by this war – and is a poignant reminder that God is with them even in the darkest hours.
Your generous support has enabled HART and a local church to restore hope in people whose lives have been shattered. We can see how this has instilled a new faith in God and humanity and has inspired belief in the potential for rebuilding and rejuvenation.
Please share this video with your friends and family. We hope it will inspire others to consider investing in this project.
Thank you – as we, together, continue to change the world, one heart (one home) at a time!
VIDEO: Mobile Homes delivered
Three families receive a glimmer of hope for the future after
their homes were destroyed by Russian tanks.
Western Support is Needed – Now
The ruthless and deadly bombardment of Ukrainian homes by Russian forces has inflicted immense devastation. The brutality of the Russian invasion knows no limits and has entered the realm of intent to commit genocide of the Ukrainian people.
The homes and apartments in this video are not strategic military targets; instead, they are peaceful civilian neighborhoods where families nurture their children, attend school, engage in sports, attend church, and celebrate weddings. These were the dwellings of elderly pensioners, including many who were confined to their beds, as well as children with physical disabilities.
The bloodiest conflict in Europe since World War II is moving into its third year, and Western support is more critical now than ever before. Immediate assistance to Ukraine is imperative to counter Russian aggression, address Ukraine’s immediate security needs, and strengthen European and NATO resolve, not to mention its impact on the morale of the troops and the civilian population.
Please pray that Ukraine gets the Western support it needs, but ultimately, that this tragic war will end soon. And please continue to pray for the local churches and support their work serving those suffering because of this conflict.
Russia is losing, even as it gains land in Ukraine
..by Daniel R. DePetris, fellow at Defense Priorities
As Russia’s war in Ukraine enters its third year, Putin’s position looks deceptively stable — unless you know what to look for. Beneath the surface, the situation Putin’s Russia finds itself in is more ambiguous, if not grim.
Pray for Ukraine, Pray for Peace
Here are specific prayer points that can help guide our prayers for the situation in Ukraine. Please share these with your friends and family:
- Pray for the physical protection and provision for Ukrainian soldiers, civilians, and especially children in harm’s way. Supernaturally and otherwise, minimize the suffering and loss of life. Pray for children who see things no child’s eye should ever see. Pray for God to protect their hearts and minds.
- Pray for and ask to see God’s glory amid this great struggle. Pray that He would continue to be glorified through the Christians in Ukraine who are being his hands and feet during this tragedy.
- Pray for God’s peace to strengthen and encourage the thousands of Ukrainian workers/volunteers serving refugees, and the poor in their communities, who need to hear of God’s love for them through these Christian workers.
- Pray for the wounded soldiers returning from the war with missing limbs and suffering from PTSD. Pray that they receive the proper medical care and that they will hear the message of God’s love through local church volunteers who visit them in hospitals.
- Pray for the residents of cities and towns who are under heavy, indiscriminate shelling and have lost their homes and livelihoods.
- Pray for countless civilian and military prisoners of war who are subject to torture and death at the hands of their captors.
- Ask God to comfort the families that have lost mothers, fathers, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters during this conflict.
- Pray for God to give justice and peace to all those who have been cruelly and unfairly treated by their fellow man.
- Ask God to intervene. Pray that God would give wisdom and move in the hearts of world leaders and guide their plans to end this war.
- Pray for the President (Zelensky) and the leaders of Ukraine to know God’s truth and peace and be transformed by his Holy Spirit so that they would seek to lead their country in the way of peace.
- Ask that this conflict would open doors of opportunities for the gospel. Pray that He would make his name known across Ukraine, Russia, and all the European countries refugees have fled to.
