Russian Missile Strikes Children’s Hospital in Kyiv

CHILDREN'S CANCER CENTER DESTROYED IN UKRAINE

This post is hard to read, but the following is Mission 823's life and work now and we will not be deterred. We need your help, and towards the end of this story, you will fully understand why. We MUST do what we can and your action is critical to our success.

On July 8, 2024, Russia intentionally struck the Okhmatdyt Children's Hospital, a specialized cancer and pediatric hospital in Kyiv, Ukraine, one of the largest in Europe. The missile hit the toxicology department causing the roof to collapse. Over 600 patients were undergoing treatment at the facility at the time. This is the equivalent to our St. Judes hospital, but in Europe.

This is just one of tens of thousands of such attacks against cities and residential communities in Ukraine. Daily attacks by kamikaze drones, rockets, missiles, aircraft and even short-range artillery are part of daily life for Ukrainians who live in constant terror.

Russia makes it a regular practice to target civilians, transportation hubs, shopping malls, hospitals and schools in Ukraine. Anywhere where large numbers of families gather has become a soft and rich target for Russian drones and rockets. These illegal and vicious actions are legally classified as war crimes and genocide by world courts.

Schools like the one in the village of Yahidne are used as command posts by Russian troops, who transform them into detention centers and torture chambers. The residents are used as human shields where children and families are held captive and tortured while Russian forces fire at Ukrainian positions.

These children are resilient and are on the road to recovery and normalcy, but they all carry scars that will stretch generations into the future. Millions of Ukrainian children have been traumatized beyond belief.

Mission 823 staff and partners have built lifelong friendships with the residents of Yahidne and have been able to provide extensive support at our base in the Carpathian region and in their village. These children regularly visit our specialized camps to find healing, peace and quiet as they rebuild their lives and village.

Since there is rarely any news available about what's actually happening in Ukraine, we wanted to answer some frequently asked questions about the kids who live there:

WHAT IS HAPPENING TO THE CHILDREN OF UKRAINE?

They're just kids . . . one day in the life of a Ukrainian child.

Imagine your life under these conditions.

More than two and a half years, over 900 days of war in Ukraine, have created destruction of homes and displacement of children and families, violence and separation from family members and friends.

Additionally, kids in Ukraine have experienced disrupted schooling, health care and social services which has led to a mental health and learning crisis among Ukraine's children. All of this occurs amidst rolling blackouts due to attacks on infrastructure and utilities.

Millions of children have been displaced from their homes as refugees, witnessing the horrors of war, surviving daily bombings and air raid sirens and living under fear of attack for so long that the rest of the world has forgotten the nightmare that they live in.

HOW MANY UKRAINIAN CHILDREN HAVE BEEN KIDNAPPED BY RUSSIANS?

Kyiv authorities say about 20,000 children have been taken to Russia or Russian occupied territory without the consent of family or guardians since the war began, calling the abductions a war crime that meets the U.N. treaty definition of genocide. The estimates vary and reach as high as 120,000 due to the fact that illegal movements of children in occupied territories are difficult to track. Non-profit organizations like Save Ukraine have been instrumental in arranging the return home of some of these children, but progress is extremely slow.

HOW MANY CHILDREN HAVE BEEN KILLED IN UKRAINE?

Remember Vova . . . one is too many!

According to the official UN data, at least 600 children have been killed in attacks since the escalation of the war in 2022. More than 1,340 children have been injured. The true number of children killed and injured is likely considerably higher.

One of those children killed was 8-year old Vova in a village neighboring Mission 823's base in the west. The parents are close childhood friends with our Ukrainian Director Taras Savchuk and partners in the humanitarian war relief effort. 

One of millions of heartbreaking stories of loss, the tragedy of Vova's family is excruciating to hear and difficult to imagine. Last year, a group of 10,000 pound Russian Kinzhal Hypersonic missiles launched by Russian aircraft made their was across the sleepy villages of the Carpathians when one of them suddenly diverted and dove into the yard where Vova's family lived. Exploding 40 feet above the ground, fragments of the rocket were propelled downward into the house and yard, destroying the home and injuring family members.

Little Vova was playing in the yard and his father had just returned to the house when the explosion cut him down, grievously wounding him. Shards of razor-sharp jagged steel flying through the air caused injuries that little Vova simply could not recover from and he died in the hospital after several hours of emergency treatment failed.

This is the Balabanyk family, our dear friends and ministry partners. Their home has been restored thanks to the generosity of many just like you who gave sacrificially through Mission 823. But their loss is impossible to comprehend or restore. Their anguish we shared during our last trip to Ukraine as we stopped by to visit and pray with the family. This is our heartbreak every single day a thousand times over. Our calling and love for the children and families of Ukraine drives us forward. 

This is Vova as we remember him. For us, he represents the face and the pain of millions of children and their families. Precious, innocent children whose lives have been stolen from them by monsters who will be judged by God. Pray for the families who are suffering, grieving and striving to rebuild their lives.

MISSION 823 CONTINUES OUR WORK IN UKRAINE UNDER DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES

Our core work to start and support churches in Ukraine who, in turn, can serve their local communities with us has not changed. The largest majority of work related to community relief, humanitarian aid, rescue, evacuations and treatment of trauma comes from faith-based organizations like ours. 

Rick Melero from HIS Capital and a Mission 823 Board Member, accompanied Shawn in June to deliver critical medical gear to front line firemen and paramedics and visit our camps for traumatized chidren. Four fully packed STAT packs specially designed for explosive and crushing injuries were gifted to front-line firemen and paramedics. Thanks to Luminary Global for donating 10 of these bags and Gravitas Medical Solutions for selecting, packing and shipping the proper gear. 

Rick and Shawn also had the privilege of partnering with a Christian widow who took up the reins of their relief organization when her husband was killed by an incoming rocket while she worked next door in the church. Her and her husband were targeted because of their faith. The church in Ukraine falls under heavy persecution from Russian soldiers. 

She guided us expertly to four separate groups under threat of drone observation to deliver the much-needed hygiene supplies that you graciously funded. Humanitarian and volunteer teams that can afford ballistic protection wear it while they work. Residents of front-line towns and villages typically do not have access to this protection. 

Large groups cannot gather for fear of drawing too much attention and being fired upon by enemy forces. Even smaller groups must meet quickly and find covered shelter so that they cannot be sseen by patrolling drones. This is the life of believers in Eastern Ukraine who are being intentionally hunted and targeted for their faith.