Annual Report. PATRIARCHAL CURIA UGCC 2019

51 Military chaplaincy ministry Bloody wounds have been inflicted on Ukraine in the last five years after its territories were annexed by Russia and the war erupted in Donbas region. In 2019 we lost 99 men and women serving in the army, defending Ukrainian independence, not including civilian dead and wounded. "The war in Ukraine is a colonial war in the very heart of Europe with the intent to restore a system like the Soviet Union — to restore the empire. If the aggressor succeeds in destroying the Ukrainian state, he will "redraw" the borders of Eastern Europe and this will be a tragedy for the whole Europe", stated the Head of the UGCC His Beatitude Sviatoslav Shevchuk during a meeting of the UGCC delegation with the Holy Father on July 5-6, 2019 in Rome. The Pope Francis on numerous occasions assured his prayer and support to those who were affected by the war in Ukraine. During the entire period of war, from 14 April 2014 to 31 December 2019, OHCHR recorded a total of 3,049 conflict-related civilian deaths (1,809 men, 1,056 women, 98 boys, 49 girls and 37 adults whose sex is unknown). Taking into account the 298 deaths on board of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 on 17 July 2014, the total death toll of the civilians has reached at least 3,347. The number of injured civilians is estimated to exceed 7,000, with the total number of injured exceeding 25,000. The number of killed military men and women exceeds 7,000. The aftermath of the war has resulted in more than 1 million internally displaced persons . Each fifth participant in military actions experiences psychological problems (PTSD, alcohol/ drug addictions, aggression, suicidal thoughts, etc.). Up to 60% of combat veterans experi- ence family crisis resulting in divorces. By His wounds we were healed Is. 53,5 The Synod of Bishops of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church made it a prior- ity for the Church in Ukraine to extend its arms to embrace displaced persons, providing spiritual and psychological care for military service personnel and their families; comforting the chil- dren and women whose relatives were killed during the war, providing spiritu- al support for the wives and mothers of soldiers and veterans of the war in eastern Ukraine. During 2014-2019, the pool of commissions and departments of the Patriarchal Curia has undertaken various initiatives such as psychological support, spiritual care, rehabilitation for soldiers and their families, supporting of women whose husbands were killed or maimed at the front line.