The Council of Ukrainian Christian Churches of Washington State calls on the U.S. government and lawmakers, as well as the Ukrainian diaspora, to increase military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine due to Russia's genocide of civilians.
On September 3, 2024, Russia attacked the city of Poltava in central Ukraine with ballistic missiles, destroying an educational institution, a hospital, and nearby civilian homes. As a result of the Russian air attack, 55 people were killed, and another 328 people suffered injuries of varying severity.
A day later, at around 5 a.m. on September 4, Russia launched a combined attack on the city of Lviv in western Ukraine, using cruise and ballistic missiles, as well as drones carrying explosives. As a result of this attack, Russia killed seven civilians, including the Bazylevych family. 43-year-old Yevhenia and her three daughters were killed in their own home: 21-year-old Yaryna, 18-year-old Daryna and 7-year-old Emilia. Of the entire family, only the husband survived, who was injured. In addition, 64 residents of Lviv needed urgent medical care, including eight children. Twenty civilian buildings in Lviv were in critical condition as a result of Russian shelling.
Unfortunately, this is not the first, not the only, and probably not the last brutal attack by Russian troops on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine. For the third year in a row, Russian missiles and drones have systematically destroyed Ukraine's energy system to terrorize the civilian population, which is forced to suffer from abnormal heat in summer and severe frosts in winter and is unable to receive medical care, cook food, and receive other vital services in the absence of electricity.
As religious leaders, we raise our voices against this terrible injustice and call on U.S. officials, the faithful of our churches, and all concerned citizens to help Ukraine defend itself against Russian aggression. Russia must be stopped and punished for all of its numerous war crimes against the civilian population of Ukraine, the military, prisoners of war, arbitrarily arrested Ukrainian citizens, and kidnaped Ukrainian children in the annexed territories. Evil must not go unpunished!
Considering this, the Council of Ukrainian Christian Churches of Washington State calls on the U.S. government and lawmakers to (a) designate the Russian Federation as a state sponsor of terrorism, (b) increase aid to Ukraine, including all necessary air defense equipment, (c) not restrict the Ukrainian Security and Defense Forces in how they use the provided aid to defend their country, and (d) strengthen sanctions against Russia, its allies, and those involved in war crimes.
We encourage all believers to pray for Ukraine's victory in this unjust war and to provide practical help to those affected by the Russian invasion.
September 6, 2024, Washington State
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