Ukraine (MNN) — Ukraine will receive new missiles and hundreds of armored vehicles as part of a new batch of military aid from France as $60 billion from the U.S. languishes in Congress.

Ukraine’s president said on Friday that his forces would have to retreat without the promised U.S. military aid. Lawmakers aren’t expected to vote on a revised Ukraine aid package until April 9, when the Senate and House return from a two-week recess.

Meanwhile, Russia continues its relentless assault on key Ukrainian infrastructure. Russian forces have been attacking Ukrainian power stations on an almost daily basis since March 22, leading to blackouts throughout the country.

TWR’s Alenka Stephenson says Ukrainians are weary after two years of war.

“People are exposed to danger daily. Our colleagues [are] in touch with those people and living it with them,” Stephenson says.

“Everybody on the team knows somebody who either died in the war or was raped or tortured.”

TWR and its partners recently hosted a retreat for Ukraine team members and their families. The ride from a bordering European country into western Ukraine was a sobering experience.

“It was very peaceful, but as we were driving through the towns and villages, you could see the flags in the cemeteries,” Stephenson says.

“Each flag [represented] one fallen soldier. There were [only] a couple of cemeteries we passed by that didn’t have a flag, and we went through many towns and villages.”

(Photo courtesy of TWR)

Along with a much-needed break from the warzone, TWR leaders gave Ukrainian team members an inside look at TWR’s global media ministry.

“This was their first vacation in two years since the war started. It was in a mountain area resort, where they could switch off for a few days and be recharged,” Stephenson says.

“Not only a few leaders from the team were able to meet us, but we could meet all the staff, including their families.”

Now that you know, what will you do? “Every single member I talked to [said], ‘Just pray for us for strength to continue to encourage others and to bring [the] Gospel to those that are so lost and hopeless,’” Stephenson says.

You can also tangibly help the Ukraine media team by financially supporting their work through TWR’s Ukraine-Russia Crisis Fund.

 

Header image depicts flags at a cemetery in western Ukraine. Header and story images courtesy of TWR.