Ukraine (MNN) — Fierce fighting continues on Ukraine’s eastern front. The battle for Severodonetsk is “probably one of the most difficult throughout this war,” Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says.
“In many ways, it is there that the fate of our Donbas is being decided.”
Russia aims to capture the Luhansk and Donbas provinces on behalf of Russian-speaking separatists.
May 31 attack on a chemical plant in Severodonetsk by Russian forces.
(Wikimedia Commons)
Officials say Russia controlled roughly seven percent of Ukrainian territory before invading in February, including the Crimean Peninsula, which it annexed in 2014. Today, Russia controls 20-percent of the country.
Meanwhile, in Kharkiv…
Arne* with unfoldingWord says Ukrainian forces recaptured Kharkiv in May. But continual Russian bombings mean Bible translators cannot return yet. “The main church body doing this work was located in Kharkiv” when the invasion began, he says.
“They were hunkered down in their homes while the bombing was taking place. They eventually dispersed, leaving to places that were less targeted,” Arne continues.
“[The fight for Kharkiv] had a considerable impact on the team; it’s hard to work when bombs are falling on you.”
Bilingual believers in Ukraine partner with unfoldingWord to do church-centric Bible translation. Using resources and tools in Russian, they translate God’s Word into minority languages without Scripture.
“They had completed three books of Scripture, paused to do the Open Bible Story series, finished that, and now [they are] coming back to Scripture again to pick up where they left off,” Arne says.
Pray believers can find a safe way to reconnect and restart the project. Learn more about the Eurasian Gateway Language project.
“We’ve seen remarkable resilience in the face of all these difficulties,” Arne says.
“They are highly motivated to do this work and will find a way to do it once they can reorganize themselves.”
*Pseudonym
Header image shows Russian territorial gains in Ukraine since the invasion began in February. Updated as of June 9, 2022. (Wikimedia Commons)
