YEAR ONE February 24, 2022 | Russia invades the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, escalating the conflict. March 2022 | Russia strikes a theater in the strategic port city of Mariupol where civilians were sheltering, killing hundreds of people in one of the war’s deadliest attacks. Family and friends at the Ukraine-Slovakia border, 2022 Medical Teams announces its three-part strategy to aid Ukraine and begins to mobilize resources. We pledge to: continue providing grants to local agencies that are directly responding to Ukrainians’ health needs help build medical and psychological first aid capacity through local health centers and mobile services at refugee accommodation centers, points of entry, and border crossings, and provide medical care within Ukraine, working in partnership with clinics and hospitals, as well as ship equipment and supplies directly into the country April 2022 | Hundreds of dead civilians are found in mass graves or left in the streets of Bucha after the Russian withdrawal from Kyiv, many showing signs of torture. This event prompts world leaders to call for Russia to be held accountable for potential war crimes. Figures by the UN’s refugee agency (UNHCR) show the number of Ukrainians who have fled abroad since Russia invaded on February 24 is now 5,010,971. May 7, 2022 | Russian troops drop a bomb on a school in the village of Bilohorivka. The death toll is estimated to be near 60. July 2022 | With the help of Turkey and the UN, Russia and Ukraine reach an agreement to release grain supplies that have become blocked in Ukraine’s Black Sea ports, putting an end to a standoff that threatened world food security. August 2022 | The UNHCR reports more than 10.5 million people have crossed the border from Ukraine since Russia’s invasion began on February 24. Ukranian children participating in art therapy provided by our Mental Health Psychosocial Support team. Medical Teams mounts a significant mental health initiative in the Ukranian communities we serve, including training local healthcare staff in psychological first aid. This technique ensures that patients are listened to with respect and that mental health professionals observe patient needs and link them to appropriate resources, caring for both physical and psychological needs. In modeling our value that We Are Not Alone, we work through local support groups, support a psychiatric unit, and provide individual case management sessions to those who are struggling to cope with violence, displacement, and uncertainty. September 2022 | The UN food chief says the world is facing “a global emergency of unprecedented magnitude,” with up to 345 million people at risk of starvation and 70 million pushed closer to starvation by the war in Ukraine. November 2022 | The Russian air force begins targeting and destroying Ukraine’s energy network. Millions of civilians are left without electricity, heat, water and other critical utilities during the cold winter months. Together with our partner CHIC (City Help and Interaction center), Medical Teams organized a clothes distribution for Ukrainian IDPs in Izmail. In response to the damage done by missile strikes on power systems in Ukraine, Medical Teams and our partners distributed 110 generators, as well as blankets and non-food items. 14 generators were procured and distributed to health facilities in Kherson Oblast. In Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Medical Teams distributed 96 generators to primary health care facilities. These generators help provide lights and the ability to run medical testing equipment and heaters during power cuts January 2023 | A Russian missile destroys an apartment building in the city of Dnipro, killing 45 people as part of yet another round of attacks by Russia on the energy infrastructure of Ukraine. YEAR TWO February 2023 | 1 YEAR anniversary of the war beginning During the first year of the conflict: 6,956 medical consultations with Ukrainians were made possible through our mobile medical teams 2,983 internally displaced people and vulnerable community members received free medication through Medical Teams-supported pharmacies 46 tons of critical medical supplies and equipment were shipped to local partners in Ukraine and Moldova 110 power generators as well as blankets and non-food items were distributed to health facilities in Kherson Oblast and Dnipropetrovsk Oblast May 2023 | After months of bloody conflict and significant casualties, Russian forces finally succeed in taking control of the city of Bahkmut, which had long stood as a symbol of Ukranian fortitude and perseverance. The conditions are described by many to be like “something out of WWI– fighting in trenches, endless mud and mass destruction.” Amid this horrific backdrop, your support provided Bahkmut residents like Lyubov Myroshnychenko, age 73, with loving care. After being evacuated to a shelter for elderly displaced people, psychologists from Medical Teams began visiting the residents. This marked a turning point for Lyubov. “I began to feel better,” she says. “I was very happy, because I really like to talk about my past, peaceful life. I’m very grateful to everyone who helps me.” September 2023 | President Zelenskyy addresses the United Nations General Assembly in person for the first time since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. In his speech, Zelenskyy describes the mass kidnapping and deportation of Ukranian children from Russian-occupied territories. “Those children in Russia are taught to hate Ukraine, and all ties with their families are broken… This is clearly a genocide.” November 2023 | The UN Human Right Office reports that more than 10,000 civilians have been killed in Ukraine since Russia’s invasion in February 2022. YEAR THREE February 2024 | 2 YEAR anniversary of the war beginning Our mobile medical teams have conducted 15,200 medical consultations We’ve shipped 97 tons of critical medical supplies and equipment and supported pharmacies as they distribute free medicine We’ve reached more than 11,000 people with mental health and psychosocial support March 2024 | A report issued by the UN Human Rights Office accuses Russia of torturing and arbitrarily detaining people in occupied Ukraine, creating a “climate of fear”. June 2024 | the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine estimates the number of civilians injured since the start of the full-scale invasion to be 21,450, mainly by explosive weapons with wide area effects. July 2024 | As part of a coordinated attack that targeted cities across Ukraine and killed at least 42 civilians, including five children, Russian forces launched cruise missiles at the Ohmatdyt Children’s Hospital in Kyiv. In all, more than 190 people were injured in the attack. Elizaveta and a Medical Teams staff member. As the war rages on, your support allows us to continue to provide care for those affected like Elizaveta: Suffering with diabetes and hypertension, Elizaveta was cut off from accessing needed healthcare when her hometown of Kherson was attacked. Medical Teams staff were able to visit her in her home and provide her a comprehensive health assessment, treatment for her conditions, and plenty of medicines to support her ongoing care. She was also provided with critical psychological support and connected with community resources to help process her war-related trauma and loneliness. “Perhaps God heard my prayers and sent these kind people to assist me during this difficult time.” September 2024 | The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency reports that due to the ongoing war, Ukraine’s death rate is now the highest in the world at 18.6 per thousand people. December 2024 | As the holiday season approaches, Russia and Ukraine exchange hundreds of prisoners of war. The Russian defense ministry reported releasing 150 Ukrainian soldiers held captive for an equal number of Russian troops. February 2025 | 3 YEAR anniversary of the war beginning Medical Teams staff examines a young boy during a consultation. During the 3 years of conflict, Medical Teams has accomplished so much with your incredible support: Served more than 69,000 people across more than 30 locations in Ukraine Provided services across 4 Oblasts, in locations up to 20km from the front line Delivered over 3,600 Mental Health and Psychosocial Support sessions, reaching over 25,000 unique beneficiaries As the war has unfolded, you have helped Medical Teams provide steadfast support during these long 3 years of unceasing conflict. You have been part of so many people’s healing journeys, but so many more Ukrainians are still struggling with the ongoing violence, disruption, and devastation that the war has caused. The scale of destruction is truly unimaginable, and for every loving soul that we have embraced and provided with care, there are countless others who are in need of assistance. As the world moves on from this conflict in favor of other, newer headlines, there are still families, grandparents, children, and those who have no one to support them that need access to medical care as the country’s healthcare system lies in ruins. Bombs continue to be dropped. Homes continue to be destroyed. Families continue to huddle in basements and refugee centers, praying for safety. The people of Ukraine need your support now more than ever. Show your support today and let’s continue to be a light of hope for those impacted by 1,000 days of war. Sources: Bulbul, N., & Davison, T. (2024, February 7). Timeline of the Russia-Ukraine war as two-year anniversary nears. The Standard. Retrieved January 21, 2025, from https://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/timeline-russia-ukraine-war-invasion-two-year-anniversary-b1062060.html Ellyatt, H. (2022, November 30). Trenches, mud and death: One Ukrainian battlefield looks like something out of World War I. CNBC. Retrieved January 21, 2025, from https://www.cnbc.com/2022/11/30/trenches-endless-mud-and-death-the-battle-of-bakhmut.html Moretti, J. (2024, November 19). 1,000 Days of War – A Short Timeline of Ukraine’s Triumphs and Tribulations. Kyiv Post. Retrieved December 12, 2025, from https://www.kyivpost.com/post/42412 [PBS NewsHour]. (2023, September 19). WATCH LIVE: Ukrainian President Zelenskyy addresses the 2023 United Nations General Assembly [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjlpSvqGbGM Post, K. (2024, September 13). Ukraine Faces World’s Lowest Birth Rate and Highest Death Rate, CIA Report Says. Kyiv Post. Retrieved January 21, 2025, from https://www.kyivpost.com/post/38938 Vernon, W., & Walker, A. (2024, December 30). Russia and Ukraine exchange hundreds of prisoners of war. BBC. Retrieved January 21, 2025, from https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c938x3v148yo Walker, N. (2024, September 16). Conflict in Ukraine: A timeline (current conflict, 2022-present). House of Commons Library: A Research Briefing. Retrieved January 21, 2025, from https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-9847/CBP-9847.pdf Previous Post « My First Time Aboard a Mobile Dental Van | One Dentist’s Experience Volunteering Next Post Healing the Body, Renewing the Spirit: Mykhailo’s Story »