Head of the UGCC in the 171 st Week of War: Disturbing Trend of Sharp Decline in Humanitarian Aid to Ukraine Is Emerging
Millions of Ukrainians on the brink of starvation are barely mentioned in the international media. His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, stated this during the 171 st week of Russia’s full-scale invasion of the peaceful Ukrainian state.
The Primate noted that nearly every night, peaceful Ukrainian towns and villages come under aerial attack. This week, Russian drones reached even western Ukraine—the Carpathian region, Ivano-Frankivsk, Bukovyna, and the Chernivtsi region.
“Despite these difficult days,” he said, “Ukrainians continue to live in hope for peace—a peace they build with their lives, for which they pray, and for which they go on pilgrimages to various holy sites across Ukraine. Pope Leo XIV never grows weary of speaking about this peace.”
Reflecting on the past week, the Head of the Church shared that the 100th session of the Synod of Bishops of our Church was held at the Marian Center in Zarvanytsia, with the participation of 27 bishops serving in Ukraine. Bishop Teodor of the Mukachevo Eparchy in Zakarpattia was also present.
The key focus of this Synod was the UGCC’s social ministry during wartime. It was crucial for the clergy to understand the current humanitarian situation in Ukraine and take concrete steps to save lives.
“There is an alarming trend—a sharp decline in humanitarian aid coming to Ukraine,” His Beatitude warned. “Some 12.7 million people are in urgent need of assistance, yet only a quarter of them can be reached. Five million people have no access to food and are in need of bread, but international organizations are only able to support 2 million at most. We must all join forces to prevent this major crisis from escalating into a full-scale humanitarian catastrophe,” he urged. “We can overcome this crisis only by uniting our efforts and resisting the temptation to fall into fatigue or despair.”
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Video-message of the Head of the UGCC on the 171st Week of Full-Scale War, May 25, 2025
The spiritual leader of Ukrainians, Pope Leo XIV, who from the very first days of his pontificate has followed events in Ukraine with focused attention and heartfelt concern, continues to do everything in his power to halt the murderous hand of the aggressor and all the suffering it brings.
The UGCC Department for Information
