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The Crisis Deepens In Ukraine As Russian Forces Block Refugees

Currents News Staff

A mass exodus.

The United Nations says more than two million Ukrainians have fled the country to escape violence.“It’s no rules,” said Kyiv Mayor Vitalii Klitschko. “Right now we see how many schools, preschools are destroyed?”

Russia’s latest agreement to allow evacuations is met with international skepticism. A Ukrainian maternity hospital was bombed. Ukrainian officials blame Russia and accuse Russian troops of blocking 50 evacuation buses out of a Kyiv suburb.

In the U.S., Vice president Kamala Harris went to Poland under a cloud of uncertainty. The U.S. was caught off guard and rejected Poland’s proposal to transfer fighter jets to the U.S., then give to Ukraine.

“The prospect of fighter jets at the disposal of the U.S. government departing from a US-NATO base in Germany to fly into contested airspace raises concerns for the entire NATO alliance,” said U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Meanwhile, NATO is ramping up its defense deployment to counter any potential threat to NATO allies. The U.S. is sending two high-end air defense “Patriot Missile Batteries” to Poland.

Private companies are also hitting back at Moscow. Starbucks, McDonald’s and Coca-Cola join a growing list of Western companies pulling out of Russia.

“His economy is in tatters,” said the Biden Administration’s Deputy National Security Advisor Daleep Singh.

Mayor of Ukrainian City Overflowing With Refugees Pleas for Outside Help

Currents News Staff

In one of the best-known theaters in Ukraine’s cultural capital of Lviv, no audience was entertained. Instead, families filled the theater seeking shelter from war.

“We’ve never imagined we would end up living in a theater,” Evgeniy Litvinov said. “We never imagined leaving our home and fleeing our city.”

Larisa says she fled Kyiv two days ago to get her kids out of danger, leaving her mother and husband behind. Now she contemplates what’s to come.

“We lived happy,” Larisa said, “and we have plans for the future, for vacations, for our baby, for study. It was [supposed to be a] happy future.”

Throughout the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Lviv has been nervous, but otherwise an oasis of relative quiet. That’s what made the city a destination for those running from where the shells are falling.

Most of them are moving on the border, but more than 200, 000 have stayed. Lviv has been welcoming them, taking care of them. But now the city’s mayor says, “We’re full and we need help.”

“This has put a lot of pressure on us and the infrastructure of Lviv,” said Andriy Sadovyi, Mayor of Lviv. “I would like to address international organizations asking for support. We need you now and we need you here.”

Andriy Sadoviy is pleading for tents, food and medical supplies. He says more than 400 cultural and educational facilities are being used to house the displaced. What was a school – a place of learning in normal times, is now a place of refuge for families not knowing their next move other than it won’t be going home.

“It’s difficult to imagine how this craziness began,” said displaced grandmother Victoria Harbatiy. “For the sake of what? For what reason are [they] killing people? What have we done to deserve this?”

Lviv is a historic city in need of help. The impact of this war is being felt well away from the frontlines.

Why This New Jersey Mayor Decided To Go To the Ukraine-Poland Border

Currents News Staff

New Jersey Mayor Paul Kanitra flew to the Ukraine-Poland border last week. The mayor of Point Pleasant Beach joined Currents News to discuss what he saw on the frontlines, including the refugees.

For more information on organizations Paul mentioned, plus others who are trying to help the people of Ukraine, you can go to this link on The Tablet Newspaper website: WHERE TO GIVE TO HELP UKRAINE.

Pope Francis’ Two High-Ranking Cardinals Are On The Ground With Ukrainian Refugees

Currents News Staff

The two top cardinals Pope Francis sent to Ukraine are already on the ground with refugees. Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, who is in charge of distributing money to church institutions, met with Caritas Lublin in Poland on Monday.

The cardinal traveled to the major border crossings along the Poland-Ukraine border and met with refugees and volunteers. One of those stops included a train station where Mayor Kanitra is – Przemysl.

The 150-year-old station is the main hub for people escaping by railway. Five to 10 trains leave each day with around 2,000 women and children. Cardinal Krajewski watched the volunteers and employees there work and offered blessings to those who needed it.

This occurred as Cardinal Michael Czerny arrived in Hungary Tuesday to talk to refugees on behalf of the Holy Father. The cardinal went to the Kelety station in Budapest, where Caritas and the Order of Malta assist around 2,500 people a day. Ahead of his journey, Cardinal Czerny had this to say about his mission:

“I hope to be able to bring some material help, but I go above all to meet people, to be with them. This is the prophecy of a presence and a closeness that may appear weak, even insignificant according to the logic of the world and the force of arms.

However, this is not the case; being close to His people, to His children who suffer, is the way that God has chosen to enter into the history of the world, even at the cost of ending up on the cross.”

Catholic News Headlines for Tuesday, 3/8/22

Gas prices continue to skyrocket, hitting levels never seen before, thanks in large part to the uncertainty caused by the war in Ukraine.

The Ukraine exodus is the fastest growing refugee crisis since World War II.

The war has forced a Brooklyn business to make some changes.

A man was caught on camera trying to steal the Blessed Mother statue outside of St. Gerard Majella Church in Queens.

Haitian Migrant Boat Runs Aground as Border Patrol Says It May Be a Human Smuggling Operation

Currents News Staff

Adam Hoffner is with the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. He describes the scene Sunday when boats filled with migrants came ashore near Ocean Reef in Key Largo, Florida.

“We do suspect that it may be a smuggling operation that did depart from Haiti,” Adam said. “And our concern right now initially is just the safety of all the migrants.”

But Adam says the 158 migrants that attempted to swim ashore is only half of the problem because the boat had about 350 people in it. Among that group, men, women and children and many of them were still on board late Sunday night.

“Two hundred migrants are still on board the actual vessel,” Adam said. “Approximately 150 of them have already been transferred to the U.S. Coast Guard for their safety due to the increasing sea state and poor conditions. The Coast Guard is concerned right now is the safety of the migrants and getting them off that vessel.”

Officials worked through the night to accomplish that mission and they say they are using this situation as a precautionary tale.

“Fortunately, there were no injuries or fatalities in this event,” Adam said. “If you saw the images of the vessel overloaded severely with 350 migrants, all of their lives were at risk during this journey.” 

 

Brighton Beach’s ‘Taste of Russia’ Permanently Changes Name in Protest of War in Ukraine

By Jessica Easthope

Beneath the rumble of the “L” train, a row of colorful storefront awnings come to a complete stop.

Customers know it only now as their favorite spot, they go there to find great food and common ground – but officially it’s nameless.

“Being that we’re in the midst of the Russian community we just felt very, very uncomfortable with the name we’re against the war and we just feel very, very bad about what’s going on in the Ukraine,” said Bobby Rakhman, the store’s owner.

Until recently, the store was called Taste of Russia, in the heart of Brooklyn’s Brighton Beach, home to hundreds of thousands of Russian-speaking immigrants and the largest population of Ukrainians in the United States.

Owner, Bobby Rakhman is Russian. He says as the sound of chaos and bombs pierce the streets of his customer’s native country – his store has never been more calm.

“It’s kind of more peaceful right now, the whole community is coming together,” he said.

For many customers, looking up and seeing the hollowed out metal framing of where the sign once proudly stood – has made them – even more proud.

“Russians and Ukrainians in the United States we’re all together and we don’t want to fight, we don’t want anybody to feel guilty, we stick together,” said Mira Malkeyeva.

Since the start of the war, Ukrainian Phillip Borovskiy finds himself craving the taste of home more often.

“It’s hard, part of you wants to go back to help out, I have a lot of friends who went back to help out but I have kids over here, it’s sad it’s hard you grew up over there you’re just praying every day,” he said.

Bobby says the decision to take the sign down is all part of his commitment to serve everyone who steps in his store.

“This gentleman just passed by and said thank you to the owners for taking down the sign,” he said.

“That must make you feel nice.”

“Yeah it does, it really does.”

Bobby says the permanent change will be made later this week and that the new name will be something symbolic and indicative of how he feels about the war.

Piano Player For Peace: Musician Plays Songs for Refugees Crossing Into Poland

 Currents News Staff

As the world’s newest war refugees step into Poland from Ukraine, they arrive to an unexpected sound: a man at the Medyka border crossing who is playing his heart out just for them.

“I’m just trying to welcome all the refugees,” said Davide Martello, “and I know that all those people that hear bombing, guns, shooting cannons and whatever.”

Davide traveled from Germany.

“The peace is starting right here,” he said.

A piano man for peace.

“I have a trailer,” Davide said. “And I just drove like 17 hours straight. I turned the music very loud, so they can hear me everywhere. That is my purpose.”

He has one message: “Peace through music.”

The message is received. 

In Ukraine, this is just another stop on the piano man’s peace tour. He shares all the places he visited to play his music in public.

“Taksim Square 2014 and Ukraine too, Donetsk, Afghanistan with the Army. Bataclan, Charlie Hebdo’s,” Davide said.

In 2020, after the police murder of George Floyd, Davide was there, with his piano, healing hearts at George Floyd Square.

“Music is the perfect medium to restore peace,” Davide said. 

Nearly two years later and 5,000 miles away, Davide plays for the newly heartbroken in Medyka, Poland. His next stop? Lviv, Ukraine.