In this message on the third anniversary of Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, Dnipro Hope Mission’s Chair of Trustees, Mark Allchorn writes very movingly about his trip to Ukraine back in 2016. His words give us a great insight into the passion that inspires his ministry with DHM.
Nine years ago, this past week, I was in eastern Ukraine with a small group from the UK on a fact-finding mission. We were led by Joshua Searle. It was two years since the 2014 Revolution of Dignity followed swiftly by the invasion of the Crimea and Donbass by Russian backed forces. In 2016, fighting was still going on around the new front-line despite the Minsk agreement brokered by Western powers. We saw refugees, the wounded and war graves. We visited and reflected on the sacrifice of the Heavenly Hundred in Maidan Square. Many of us went home profoundly moved and wanting to do something to make a difference. That was the genesis of Dnipro Hope Mission.
Fast forward to February 2025. Three long years of grinding, total war later, much has changed, but key aspects of Ukraine’s history look as though they are in danger of being repeated. On February 24th, 2022, Russia attempted a full-scale invasion of Ukrainian sovereign territory. This was in plain sight. Over the past three oppressive, seemingly without end, years of all-out assault by Russian troops, many thousands of entirely innocent Ukrainian civilians have had to endure documented barbaric acts of brutality, clearly encouraged at the highest level. Recent conservative estimates put the cumulative casualty list on both sides of killed and wounded at over one million human beings.
As a historian of modern history, I never thought I would see again the atrocities and loss of life that took place in Europe and across the globe in the two World Wars. I was manifestly very wrong.
Today, 24th February 2025, we are three years into a war that is still far from over. Dnipro Hope Mission continues to stand in support of the people of Ukraine. We are a small charity, yet we have been able to touch and sometimes save the lives of thousands of people in Ukraine these past three years. This has been made possible by hundreds of generous donors who have gone the extra mile to give and raise money. As long as we are able, we will continue to work as tirelessly as our many partners in bringing humanitarian assistance and hope for a just peace and better future. We continue to stand with the people of Ukraine in these continuing dark days of conflict.
To paraphrase John 1 v 5 may the light of Ukraine continue to shine in the darkness, and the darkness will not overcome it…
May we all continue to pray for the Ukrainian people on this grim anniversary.
