Sign In Subscribe Now The group of Yukoners planning their fourth mission to war-torn Ukraine with relief supplies was celebrated by local dignitaries in a send-off event held Saturday The details of the aid mission were explained in an October statement from the Ukrainian Canadian Association of Yukon which states that it is timed to help the country approaching two years of war and heading into the winter months Supplies the Yukon volunteers are bringing include medications tourniquets and military first aid supplies There is also a plan in place to purchase two 4x4 vehicles in Europe to be used for evacuations The mission is set to include the delivery of supplies to Whitehorse's sister city Chortkiv.  Yukon MP Brendan Hanley said the sock bandages and hopefully vehicles sent over are not just lifesaving supplies but also messages of hope and solidarity.  this huge loss of civilian and military lives How can this be happening in 2024?” the member of Parliament said.  Hanley said this is simply the state of the world today and it is important to demonstrate for necessary peace.  He offered thanks to all Yukoners who have contributed to the mission.  “Your generosity reflects our collective spirit and our determination to stand together in the face of adversity and as a testament to our shard values of compassion and humanity," he said Hanley also addressed the mission while speaking to his fellow MPs on Parliament Hill on Nov Whitehorse Mayor Kirk Cameron also spoke at the send-off event.  He described the work in support of Ukraine as a good example of similar work happening on issues throughout Whitehorse.  you’re bringing again the critical supplies that are necessary for people to just live,” he said.  what you’re doing to help out that part of our planet that needs our support and our caring told the News the work on the Ukraine missions “shows the best of Yukoners.” He commended their efforts and noted the work by Yukoners had been ongoing since the early days of the conflict.  He also noted that numerous inquiries were fielded by a help desk operated through the territorial government’s Economic Development department and that 150 Ukrainians had been able to settle in the Yukon since the conflict began.  The volunteers on the aid mission were en route to Europe as of Nov Contact Jim Elliot at jim.elliot@yukon-news.com Dialogue and debate are integral to a free society and we welcome and encourage you to share your views on the issues of the day. 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To learn about our commenting policies and how our community-based moderation works, please read our Community Guidelines The expertise hubs enrich the international profile of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom They enable joint work across regions through their focus on globally relevant policy issues These include questions of international financial and economic policy and decision makers we seek to foster open dialogue and discuss liberal policy solutions to European challenges we develop formats and campaigns to promote rule of law we coordinate EU co-funded projects in the field of democracy support development cooperation and human rights protection Through our seven offices in the MENA Region we actively promote the political debate to support innovative liberal approaches and solutions Our projects are liberal platforms on which the Foundation's partners from the Gulf to the Levant and the entire southern side of the Mediterranean can provide creative impulses and discuss geopolitical issues From our seven offices in Sub-Saharan Africa we focus on promoting political networking We are committed to strengthening liberalism and promoting human rights the rule of law and the social market economy our focus is on the transatlantic partnership which we see as a supporting pillar for the security and stability of Western democracies We encourage the political debate and develop innovative liberal approaches In Latin America we work to promote strong democratic institutions respect for human rights and rule of law as well as promoting liberal dialogue throughout the region the foundation supports programs to strengthen democratic processes and transparent and accountable governance The Foundation in the region also showcases innovation as a tool to encourage civic participation that further promotes freedom Using the patronymic is a sign of respect around here but I seem to recognize another note in the manner of their speech Expectation that a plea would be understood The job of Mayor of a Ukrainian town in the middle of an incomprehensible war is impossible Watch the Trailer of ‘Think Freedom: The Mayor’ now At this point you will find an external content that complements the content As the Sun rises on the morning of October 10th A major counter-offensive has liberated Kharkiv Oblast Kherson City awaits the imminent arrival of the AFU the Kerch Bridge is in flames and the collective West is falling over backwards promising "whatever it takes" large portions of the country would be plunged into darkness without heating or hot water while terrorized Ukrainians would be left wondering how they will make it through the winter The Russian Federation has begun its vicious assault on normal civilian life All the while readying masses of mobilized Russian men for the relentless gruesome human wave assaults of Eastern Ukrainian towns Yet one thing remains the same - Ukrainians have not much choice but to fight but in every attempt to live a normal life under the constant threat of bombardment and heartbreak In this film we revisit that day in the fall of 2022 to seek the source of the resilience and strength of free citizens who have freely chosen one man to lead them through the darkness - their Mayor Mayor Volodymyr Petrovych Shmatko has been the mayor of Chortkiv since 2015 he had made the journey from the streets of the Maidan Revolution of Dignity to the trenches of Donbas as infantry unit commander The documentary portrait is part of “Think Freedom” documentary series of Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom It embodies the core liberal principles of freedom The overarching theme is the main characters‘ self-determination to pursue freedom by overcoming challenges in the shrinking spaces of their democracies Our heroes are inspiring freedom ambassadors and liberal multipliers from all walks of life from activism we have featured characters with a focus on East and Southeast Europe from Romania The Director: David Djambazov is the Film Director He is a long-time collaborator of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation especially on our Think Freedom documentaries His endeavours are fueled by curiosity and a firm belief in the importance of free will The Producer: Tanuki films is an award-winning boutique production team focused on documentary filmmaking ‘Think Freedom’ series is a successful creative collaboration between Tanuki and FNF tanuki have created and worked on a number of documentary campaigns Tanuki work with a team of visual storytellers with a wealth of experience and a passion for cinema which they transform to serve the social and brand stories they tell After winning the 2015 Open Data Expo Hackathon their latest passion is data journalism and particularly stories that combine data visualization with documentary storytelling Director of Photography: Ivan Nikolov is Director of Photography and has worked on almost all episodes of Think Freedom By education,he is an artist - but for over 20 years now he has been using the camera as a means of expression His interest in people naturally led him to documentary filmmaking and to learn about life through these encounters "Our filming period coincided with the first massive air attack against Ukraine which aimed to destroy the infrastructure and disrupt the power supply I remember lying in the hotel one evening - there was no electricity and air raid sirens followed one after another What saved me was the thought that in a few days these people went to the front lines and stood up to defend their homeland how strong must their sense of identity and patriotism be to sacrifice their lives for freedom I wondered - would I do the same to defend Bulgaria." The Ukrainian Canadian Association of Yukon (UCAY) will be making a fourth trip to Ukraine with the intention of delivering medical supplies and other gear to help resist Russia’s occupation of the country Three UCAY members are scheduled to land in Poland on Nov 9 to deliver the supplies for the front lines “Members will depart Whitehorse in early November with suitcases full of medical supplies The members will pick up two vehicles in Europe and drive them to Ukraine,” reads an Oct Whitehorse’s sister city in western Ukraine will serve as the rendezvous point for the drop off Lesia Hnatiw and Anastasia Matlashevska are set to make the delivery Hnatiw and Matlashevska plan to drive two four-wheel-drive vehicles to Chortkiv for front-line evacuation duties tourniquets and various other medical supplies The three members will fly to Calgary on Nov 7 to collect and repack prescription medications They will use Calgary as a rallying point to organize medical supplies Working with Health Partners International Canada they will transport $50,000 worth of antibiotics and other medications in 20 suitcases for humanitarian efforts in Ukraine The group plan to procure two late-2000s model trucks for the equivalent of $10,000 in the Polish city of Krakow upon arrival on Nov The vehicles will then be driven across the border into Ukraine We are going to be doing a bunch of volunteering work,” Zazula said The humanitarian trip comes as the conflict continues into the winter months with temperatures in Russian-controlled areas dropping below freezing “These supplies will help save Ukrainian lives while the trip shows solidarity with Ukraine and our sister city of Chortkiv with an independent Ukraine standing tall,” said Eileen Melnychuck The association has completed three supply drop-off missions to Ukraine Vita Kurylo and Parviz Ahangi delivered over two dozen suitcases filled with winter clothing communication devices and medical supplies to the Ukrainian communities of Chortkiv the municipal hospital director of Yuzhnoukrains’k Kurylo and Ahangi were surprised to learn that the hospital had not received any non-government organization support prior to their visit last year the association delivered over $50,000 in medical supplies to Yuzhnoukrains’k hospital during their second visit They also donated $10,000 to help the hospital procure a sterilization unit a motorized chair for head and throat procedures intensive care unit syringe pumps and neonatal equipment During their third mission to Ukraine in March 2024 the association included vehicles in their itinerary A Volkswagen T5 van stuffed with supplies was driven from Rotterdam across Europe through Germany and Poland before reaching Yuzhnoukrains’k 8 that the Volkswagen T5 is still in operation and is used to transport wounded Ukrainian soldiers A formal leaving send off for the fourth mission is planned for Nov The Whitehorse Firefighters Charitable Society has partnered with UCAY to allow people who make donations to the association to receive tax receipts Sponsors and individuals are actively supporting the UCAY's mission to aid Ukraine in its defence against Russian occupation Contact Jake Howarth at jake.howarth@yukon-news.com Russian forces said Sunday they had struck a site in western Ukraine storing US- and EU-supplied weapons as fighting intensified in an eastern region where the country's top commander said the land "is covered in blood." a rare attack by Russia in the relatively calm west of Ukraine Meanwhile the situation in Severodonetsk was "extremely difficult," after the Russian army destroyed a second bridge into the city and was heavily bombarding the last one commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian military said Russia's massed artillery in that region gave it a tenfold advantage Every meter of Ukrainian land there is covered in blood — but not only ours has killed thousands of soldiers and civilians displaced millions and reduced swathes of the country to rubble President Volodymyr Zelensky described the latest fighting in Severodonetsk as "very fierce.. he said Russia was deploying undertrained troops and using its young men as "cannon fodder."  World Trade Organization members gathered in Geneva Sunday with the need to tackle global food security threatened by Russia's invasion of wheat-producing Ukraine Tensions ran high during a closed-door session where several delegates took the floor to condemn Russia's war including Kyiv's envoy who was met with a standing ovation just before Russian Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov spoke around three dozen delegates "walked out," the spokesman said That came a day after the head of the European Commission promised Ukraine would receive a clear signal within a week on its bid to join the European Union "Ukraine has achieved a lot in the past 10 years and much still needs to be done Our opinion will reflect this carefully," Commission head Ursula von der Leyen said at the end of a surprise visit to Kyiv EU leaders are expected to approve the bid at an upcoming summit although with strict conditions attached.  Ukraine's geopolitical vulnerability has been laid bare by Russia's invasion demonstrators brandishing blue and yellow Ukrainian flags circled  European Commission headquarters Sunday in a show of support The war has prompted Finland and Sweden to give up decades of military non-alignment and seek to join the NATO alliance Turkey is blocking their bids and NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said Sunday the issue may not be resolved by an alliance summit later this month The United States and Europe have sent weapons and cash to help Ukraine blunt Russia's advance alongside punishing Moscow with unprecedented economic sanctions Russia's defense ministry said the strike on Chortkiv destroyed a "large depot of anti-tank missile systems portable air defense systems and shells provided to the Kyiv regime by the US and European countries." Regional governor Volodymyr Trush said four missiles fired Saturday evening from the Black Sea had partially destroyed a military installation in the town about 140 kilometers (85 miles) from the border with Romania which along with the south has borne the brunt of Russian firepower Severodonetsk and nearby Lysychansk have been targeted for weeks as the last areas in the Luhansk region still under Ukrainian control Regional governor Gaiday said the Russians by attacking Severodonetsk's last remaining bridges He said Russia was shelling the Azot chemical plant where about 800 civilians have reportedly taken refuge leader of Luhansk's pro-Russian separatists accused Ukrainian battalions of shelling Severodonetsk from the plant He told reporters pro-Russian forces were not pressing aggressively "because it is a chemical industry facility," warning of the risk of "an environmental catastrophe." Concern eased Sunday over another volatile facility: Ukraine's largest nuclear power plant Captured months ago by Russian forces but still operated by Ukrainians the station had ceased transmitting vital safeguards data two weeks ago But plant officials working with the International Atomic Energy Agency have succeeded in restoring transmission said it still wanted to send inspectors to the plant "as soon as possible." the war is being played out through the courts Pro-Moscow separatist authorities in the Donetsk region this week sentenced to death two Britons and a Moroccan for fighting with Kyiv The sentences sparked outrage in Western countries but separatist Donetsk leader Denis Pushilin said Sunday he would not alter them "They came to Ukraine to kill civilians for money," he told reporters The families of Britons Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner say they have been living in Ukraine since 2018 Ukrainian courts have handed three Russian soldiers long prison sentences at war crimes trials Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent." These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help please support us monthly starting from just $2 and every contribution makes a significant impact independent journalism in the face of repression You don't have permission to access the page you requested What is this page?The website you are visiting is protected.For security reasons this page cannot be displayed The City of Whitehorse could soon be looking at its sister city relationships if a motion Mayor Laura Cabott is proposing moves forward Cabott brought forward a notice of motion to inform council she will bring forward a motion for city administration to review its guidelines for sister cities analyze its current relationships and whether it would have the ability to add another city the motion comes from a recent request Whitehorse received from the city of Chortkiv noting that when the Ukraine was invaded by Russian forces in 2022 and efforts were being looked at on how to support the Ukraine she had considered the possibility of a sister city relationship between Whitehorse and a community in the Ukraine that’s not something that probably comes to top of mind,” she said So when the request came to Whitehorsefrom the mayor of Chortkiv Cabott said she thought is was interesting and worth looking into While she said it’s not entirely clear why they are making the request of Whitehorse the two communities do have some things in common Population sizes are similar with Chortkiv’s being estimated at close to 30,000 with Whitehorse at just over 30,000 (in its muncipal boundaries) as of March 2022 Both communities feature rural and urban areas Chortkiv already has sister city relationships with six Polish cities as well as the city of Béziers in France Council will consider Cabott’s proposal to look at the sister city guidelines and whether another could be added to the list of three sister cities Whitehorse already has Contact Stephanie Waddell at stephanie.waddell@yukon-news.com When the war in Ukraine started more than two years ago a group of Yukoners knew they had to do something The Ukrainian Canadian Association of Yukon is now on its third mission to the country to deliver medicine medical supplies and equipment — all donated by Yukoners Jeff Sloychuk and Taras Yurkiv arrive at the Calgary International Airport with 20 large suitcases all bound with duct tape and baggage tags reading “Yukon to Ukraine.” Along with fundraising back home in Whitehorse they’ve had to fill out dozens of documents and letters in order to transport their cargo of donated goods into Ukraine to pick up a Volkswagen transporter van that will become a medical evacuation vehicle then drive it roughly 2,500 kilometers through Germany and Poland to Ukraine “When we pull in with this medical evacuation vehicle it’s going to be an incredible moment,” said Sloychuk “We’re really excited to see our friends in Chortkiv because they are like family at this point.” This will be his first trip delivering supplies with the Ukrainian Canadian Association of Yukon The grain elevators he used to play near as a child were bombed by Russia in June 2022 The medical facility he was born in has been turned into a Ukrainian military base Many landmarks rich with childhood memories have been destroyed “I am pretty sure I am going to see metal wreckage … My eyes will get tearful,” he said volunteers with the Ukrainian Canadian Association of Yukon (UCAY) stood in an assembly line in a dimly lit boardroom Two rows of large suitcases were filled with bandages all purchased through fundraising efforts by UCAY “It’s incredible to me how you can become this close to people on the other side of the world,” said Sloychuk The supplies will be delivered to a municipal hospital in Yuzhnoukrains’k are thousands of kilometres away from the Yukon capital This is UCAY’s third mission since February 2023 to deliver supplies to Ukraine It was created in January 2023 and has now gained roughly 50 members “We are compelled to help because it is so necessary and because we see the need every time we’re there,” said Sloychuk Small teams have so far hand-delivered more than $150,000 worth of medicine The current mission includes those 20 packed suitcases along with the Volkswagen transporter van purchased in the Netherlands We’ve raised a considerable amount of money We’ve sold a lot of borscht,” said Sloychuk For the Yuzhnoukrains’k City Multidisciplinary Hospital the relationship with Yukoners all started with a letter from the hospital’s director calling for support and decided to “adopt” the hospital in Yuzhnoukrains’k The hospital mainly serves local residents but also soldiers Yuzhnoukrains’k is located about 130 kilometers from Kherson along the Dnipro River near the Black Sea Russian forces frequently shell Khersan from the other side is this hospital is kind of ignored and not getting as much support,” said Eileen Melnychuk “This hospital was lacking in a lot of supplies and services and some things that are critical — that weren’t really expensive.” That includes things such as adjustable hospital beds small equipment like patient monitors and syringe pumps “Rather than sending things that they don’t need UCAY has worked with the charity Health Partners International Canada to get donations from Canadian pharmaceutical companies helping stretch the dollars they’ve raised The Yukon association has also built close ties with the city of Chortkiv representatives from that city came to Whitehorse looking to develop a “sister city” relationship Walking along the Yukon River in Whitehorse Anya Lebedenko feels the sun on her face take the edge off the biting wind The Yukon capital has been her home since March 2023 about 150 Ukrainians have fled the war and come to Yukon The territorial government says its latest numbers show that since October 2023 95 Ukrainians have used “settlement service” in the Yukon Most of the 33-year-old’s family still lives in Ukraine She said her family’s homes were bombed by Russian forces in November 2022 “It’s still really dangerous and the war [isn’t] even close … to finish,” she said She said the efforts of Yukoners to help her country give her hope “that the world cares about this situation.” I’m here and it doesn’t bother me … But no It’s work that Yukoners like Donna Reimchen have no plans to quit Reimchen owns an art gallery in downtown Whitehorse that’s selling Ukrainian art Reimchen joined the UCAY’s second mission to Ukraine travelling last summer by train from Lviv for 12 hours to deliver medical supplies to the hospital in Yuzhnoukrains’k Reimchen never expected to visit a country at war or develop life-long friendships with the people she met “We have heard from numerous people there that they feel like they’re living in darkness … This is how we’re still fighting for the good that’s in our world.” Jeff Sloychuk and Taras Yurkiv crossed the border into Ukraine last week It was many more hours before they reached Yuzhnoukrains’k they headed to the hospital and were greeted by some familiar faces The Yuzhnoukrains’k City Multidisciplinary Hospital holds 185 beds and has more than 400 staff They were also greeted by the sound of sirens warning of a potential missile strike They headed to the hospital basement to wait it out “They are coming to Ukraine despite the war and all the threats for their lives and health — just to support us,” said Maksym Berezovyi He said the visit was not just about the donated equipment and supplies this means that we are not alone in this world that we have our friends and all the other people who are helping us from the different sides of the world,” Berezovyi said Opening the suitcases of donated goods and supplies lifted the mood in the hospital The donations mean there’s more money to help pay staff and keep the hospital running Berezovyi said the ongoing war effort means the facility is seeing less funding the Yukoners then drove back westward to Chortkiv where they also had an emotional reception city officials and members of the military gathered outside Chortkiv’s city hall to greet Sloychuk Yurkiv and the suitcases stuffed with supplies Canadian and Ukrainian flags hang above the entrance for this reunion of the “sister cities.” A ceremony will mark the raising of the Whitehorse flag alongside those of Chortkiv’s other sister cities “It is a huge event and celebrations in Chortkiv today,” said Volodymyr Shmatko Schmatko said the war has taken a toll on the Ukrainian military “There is a feeling in the world and in Ukraine that we are a little tired of the war Anything that can save soldiers’ lives is extremely important The key to the new evacuation vehicle is handed over to Pokrova Chortkiv a local charitable foundation that delivers supplies to soldiers on the frontlines in eastern Ukraine That can include anything from cookies to wool socks to medicine The new van will be blessed before being sent to the frontlines in the coming days the Yukoners’ visit is also about helping Ukraine rebuild He hopes there will be an ongoing relationship between the two sister cities “The Whitehorse and Chortkiv communities must continue communication,” said the mayor Because Ukraine needs restoration after the war Ukraine during the war needs economic growth,” he said “We believe and will do everything possible for our business to find partners in Whitehorse Taras Yurkiv said he was happy to be finally back in Ukraine describing it as “overclouded with fear.” he saw “the beams of light” through those clouds The Ukrainian Canadian Association of Yukon is already raising funds for its next trip “I am so happy to be a part of delivering hope and solidarity and assistance to Ukraine in order to win the war.” It is a priority for CBC to create a website that is accessible to all Canadians including people with visual Closed Captioning and Described Video is available for many CBC shows offered on CBC Gem the Ukrainian Canadian Association of Yukon hosted its third vigil since Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine on Feb The vigil took place outside Whitehorse City Hall and was moderated by Ukrainian Canadian Association of Yukon board member Tim Kucharuk Kwanlin Dün Elder Jessie Dawson opened the vigil with a prayer followed by the territory's Member of Parliament MP Hanley thanked the Ukrainian Canadian Association of Yukon for their leadership and support including the humanitarian trips they organized throughout the war Member of the legislative assembly and Yukon government minister acknowledging the impact the war has had on the Yukon Ukrainian population and its lasting effects on the international community "We think of our Whitehorse sister city of Chortkiv and how they continue to provide shelter to displaced persons and community to their people in the face of unimaginable challenges And we think that the Ukrainian community here in the Yukon Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine has had a profound and lasting impact not only on the people of Ukraine but on the entire international community," Clarke said acknowledged a personal connection she has with Ukraine at the vigil as her grandmother came to Canada with her brother as a child from Ukraine in the early 20th century My great-grandparents immigrated from Ukraine in 1910 along with my grandmother and her brother They were part of a wave of Ukrainians who came to Canada," Morris said She expressed pride in how many people in the Yukon have stepped up to help Ukraine but said she is most grateful to Ukraine for standing up for the world and doing what needed to be done in the face of a powerful aggressor Grant Zazula and Eileen Melnychuk were at the vigil and were acknowledged for their humanitarian efforts to organize and deliver thousands of dollars' worth of supplies to Whitehorse’s sister city Zazula and Melnychuk travelled to Poland and then to Ukraine to drop off supplies that the association had driven in from Poland and donated two evacuation vehicles to the Pokrova Chortkiv Charitable Foundation in November 2024 which Zazula said reflected Ukraine’s history and struggles including cousins who are currently fighting the war have been unsettled by diplomatic changes between the United States and Ukraine Editor's Note: This story has been edited to reflect that Tim Kucharuk was speaking at the event in his role as Ukrainian Canadian Association of Yukon board member Looking to access paid articles across multiple policy topics Interested in policy insights for EU professional organisations The volumes exported to the bloc have already reached the limit established in the new ‘trade benefits’ regulation Ukrainian producers said calling for the EU to stop importing sugar from their country for 2024 either observed and verified directly by the reporter or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources Zavodske,-,Chortkiv,-,Ukraine,-,13,September,2015.,Workers [Orest lyzhechka / Shutterstock] Donec et orci aliquet nisl suscipit molestie sed sit amet tortor Duis vel urna ac mi sollicitudin lacinia mollis sit amet lorem Sed finibus erat nec libero scelerisque fringilla Morbi at orci sed urna vulputate vulputate Get a subscription on Euractiv Pro and elevate your political insight has arrived in Whitehorse for a seven-day visit 10 at the Erik Nielsen Whitehorse International Airport and was received by members of the RCMP First Nation leaders and the Ukrainian Canadian Association of the Yukon (UCAY) The team includes Chortkiv Mayor Volodymyr Shmatko; Dr chair of Chortkiv’s medical branch; and Marta Hlubish chair of Chortkiv’s department of International Relations the delegates will work to establish relationships of mutual economic and cultural benefit with First Nations businesses and governments while in the territory Shmatko said it feels good to be in the territory after dreaming of visiting Canada for a very long time Canada is a beautiful country with [a] rich culture,” he said “We thank the Canadian government for the support we have received during the ongoing war Shmatko said he would meet the Ukrainian community during their stay in the territory while also forging new relationships with other partners and supporters of Ukraine’s cause UCAY president Jeff Sloychuk told the News the visit is symbolic and important in building new relationships and supporting Ukraine amid the ongoing war and I feel great to have them here,” he said “We want to be able to show them the Yukon and to give them a break from the realities of war back in Ukraine and show them love.” Sloychuk has organized two separate trips to Ukraine in less than a year delivering supplies and relief materials to victims of the war the association will host a fundraising gala from 7 p.m at the Mount McIntyre Recreation Centre in Whitehorse silent and live auctions and a special taste-testing borsht bar the City of Chortkiv and the Yukon government will be attending Sloychuk said they will be looking at raising funds for the delegation to procure relief supplies and future deliveries of medicines during their trip back to Ukraine through the showcase of Ukrainian materials and intangible culture Kwanlin Dün First Nation Chief Sean Smith and Ta’an Kwäch’än Council Chief Amanda Leas who were at the airport to receive the delegates said their visit is an opportunity to share First Nations culture and traditions with them and we are happy to have them in our territory spending time with us and learning our way of life,” Smith said “We look forward to building lasting cooperation and friendships.” “It’s important to share those stories so they can bring it back to their families and communities in Ukraine,” Leas said “We have carried our culture and traditions for generations and we are still passing it on to our children.” Sloychuk said it’s important that the First Nations leaders could come and welcome the delegation we are dealing with what is essentially colonization when Russia comes in and tries to take away the language culture and heritage of the Ukrainian people,” he said I just think it’s important for us to make those connections with the First Nations because of what they have been through themselves and how stronger they are able to come back after generations of trauma and oppression.” Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said no one knows how long the war in his country will last but that Ukrainian forces are defying expectations by preventing Russian troops from overrunning eastern Ukraine where the fighting has been fierce for weeks Zelenskyy said he was proud of the Ukrainian defenders managing to hold back the Russian advance in the eastern Donbas region which borders Russia and where Moscow-backed separatists have controlled much of the territory for eight years they hoped to seize all of the Donbas?” the president said late Saturday Moscow has focused on seizing the parts of the largely Russian-speaking Donbas still in Ukrainian hands as well as the country’s southern coast Russian forces have been drawn into a long thanks in part to the Ukrainian military’s use of Western-supplied weapons READ MORE: U.S. and Sweden conduct military drills on Baltic Sea island an eastern city with a prewar population of 100,000 The city and neighboring Lysychansk are the last major areas of the Donbas’ Luhansk province not under the control of the pro-Russia rebels the head of the separatist-declared Luhansk People’s Republic said Ukrainian fighters remained in an industrial area of the city including a chemical plant where civilians had taken shelter during a weeks-long Russian bombardment “Sievierodonetsk is not completely 100% liberated,” Pasechnik said claiming that Ukraine was shelling the city from the Azot plant “So it’s impossible to call the situation calm in Sievierodonetsk Serhii Haidai reported that a big fire broke out at the plant Saturday during Russian shelling Haidai said Sunday on the Telegram messaging app that Russian forces were still shelling the chemical plant and destroyed a second bridge connecting Sieverodonetsk and Lysychansk He did not address how many soldiers or civilians were holed up in the plant said that 300 to 400 Ukrainian troops remained blockaded inside the Sievierodonetsk chemical plant along with several hundred civilians He said efforts are underway to try to evacuate the civilians but the troops will be allowed to leave only if they lay down their arms and surrender Russian shelling of settlements in the Kharkiv region killed three people The Russian military said Sunday it destroyed a large weapons depot in western Ukraine while local officials said missile strikes had injured civilians READ MORE: Russian-owned successor of McDonald’s opens in Moscow Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said long-range sea-based Kalibr missiles had hit “a large depot of anti-tank missile systems portable air defense systems and shells supplied to the Kyiv regime by the U.S and European countries” near the city of Chortkiv in the western Ukrainian region of Ternopil Ternopil governor Volodymyr Trush said missile strikes on Chortkiv injured 22 people including seven women and a 12-year-old boy partially destroyed a military facility and damaged four residential buildings a counteroffensive pushed Russians out of parts of the southern Kherson region they took early in the war Moscow has installed local authorities in Kherson and other occupied coastal areas airing Russian news broadcasts and taking steps to introduce a Russian school curriculum Zelenskyy said while an end to the war was not in sight Ukraine should do everything it can so the Russians “regret everything that they have done and that they answer for every killing and every strike on our beautiful state.” The Ukrainian leader asserted that Russia has suffered about three times as many military casualties as the number estimated for the Ukrainian side There are no reliable independent estimates of the war’s death toll so far Speaking at a defense conference in Singapore on Sunday Wei Fenghe said Beijing continues to support peace talks between Russia and Ukraine and its NATO allies have discussions with Russia “to create the conditions for an early ceasefire.” “China will continue to play a constructive role and contribute our share to easing tensions and realizing a political resolution of the crisis,” Wei said He suggested that nations supplying weapons to Ukraine were hindering peace by “adding fuel to the fire” and stressed that China had not provided any material support to Russia during the war said Ukrainian intelligence suggested the Russian military was planning “to fight a longer war.” It cited the deputy head of Ukraine’s national security agency as saying that Moscow had extended its war timeline until October The intelligence “indicates the Kremlin has acknowledged it cannot achieve its objectives in Ukraine quickly and is further adjusting its military objectives in an attempt to correct the initial deficiencies in the invasion,” the think tank said said the Ukrainians making a stand in Sievierodonetsk should save themselves the trouble I would already make a decision (to surrender),” he said “We will achieve our goal in any case.” David Rising in Bangkok and Colleen Barry in Milan contributed © 1996 - 2025 NewsHour Productions LLC PBS is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization Subscribe to Here's the Deal with Lisa Desjardins Log in Subscribers only access Subscribe to the Star online for $15/month View all stories from every section, download special supplements, get the full digital edition and search the Star's complete online archives Subscribe $15/mo. for full online access If you don't already have an account, it's free to create one A WARM WELCOME – Jeff Sloychuk (left) is seen with Mayor Volodymyr Schmatko of Chortkiv Yukoner Jeff Sloychuk and Ukrainian Orthodox Fr Yaroslav are seen in the 500-year-old Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Chortkiv Ukraine is looking forward to the days when the war is over and the city can again welcome Canadians – in particular Voloymyr Shmatko spoke to the Star Wednesday morning on a conference call with Whitehorse resident Jeff Sloychuk The latter was in Chortkiv delivering his second load of humanitarian aid the first having been delivered last spring Assisting with the translation was interpreter Vita Kurylo Chortkiv is approximately 490 kilometres southeast of Kyiv Shmatko had just come from a funeral for a Chortkiv resident who had gone to fight on the front line against the invading Russian troops Schmatko said 25 of his residents have been killed The last fatality was on Wednesday morning While Chortkiv is not involved in the day-to-day battles with a major apartment complex being destroyed but it was only because its was a Saturday He said the people who were home had enough time to run down to the basement for shelter nobody died but 32 people were wounded,” he said adding that scores of homes were destroyed and it was disturbing to see the destruction and had already distributed eight of the 35 pieces of baggage full of various aid he had brought from the Yukon and Alberta “We very much appreciate the fact that Jeff and his team were able to stop in Chortkiv to bring the most important technology to Ukraine these days...the radios and power packs,” Shmatko said Sloychuk presented Shmatko with a Team Canada hockey jersey and the mayor wore it proudly for a photograph standing next to Sloychuk “The other thing he brought was a gift for me Sloychuk also brought Edmonton Oilers jerseys The mayor of Chortkiv said they were leaving the next morning at 7:00 to deliver the core of the aid which is made up of hospital supplies and medical supplies to the town of Yuzhnoukrainsk “The rest of the stuff will be dropped off with field units,” Shmatko said The mayor said Chortkiv has given refuge to some 3,000 Ukrainians fleeing the violence of which 1,700 were still in the community which is a challenge for the city of 36,000 full-time residents “There is nearly 117 kids that are school age that need constant help from the government,” he said “There are also a lot of disabled people who need government attention and government support.” It was Mayor Shmatco who wrote to Whitehorse Mayor Laura Cabott in late December 2022 to invite Whitehorse to become a sister city City council has directed administration to review the invitation such as gauging the city’s capacity to support another sister city relationship Schmatco said one of the challenges facing the people of Chortkiv is the rotating disruption in the supply of electricity and then it’s off for six hours as the country distributes the limited supply “It is very difficult psychologically,” the mayor said “And it is very difficult physically with no heat in their homes.” It’s unnerving for residents when they hear the sound of Russian jets above Sloychuk said future deliveries of aid will focus on the provision of medical supplies Receiving supplies from Whitehorse and Canada He said he is hoping to twin with Whitehorse to promote the exchange of culture and information Schmatco said Canada is a welcoming country and Whitehorse is a welcoming city He looks forward to the day when Chortkiv and Whitehorse come together and he looks forward to see how the relationship will benefit both cities “We really can’t wait for the people of Whitehorse to visit Chortkiv The mayor said while the aid delivered by Sloychuk is very much needed and appreciated “The most valuable thing he brought today was actually to come here and tell us about Canada,” Schmatko said He said the Yukon-to-Ukraine project is a reflection of Canada’s willingness to help Urkaine Sloychuk said he will be returning to Whitehorse this Monday Arriving with his second shipment of aid proved to be a challenge “It was tough getting out of Poland,” he said “We had to go through two checkpoints – one to check passports and the other to clear customs and again to pass through two checkpoints coming into Ukraine.” there were miles and miles of vehicles lined up waiting to leave Ukraine In order to encourage thoughtful and responsible discussion, website comments will not be visible until a moderator approves them. Please add comments judiciously and refrain from maligning any individual or institution. Read about our user comment and privacy policies Your name and email address are required before your comment is posted Medical and military supplies were separated and repacked in Lviv shipping laptops to soldiers serving on the northeastern front lines note: the first two parts of this three-part series were published last Friday and last Monday Lesia Hnatiw identifies as a Ukrainian Canadian as her family is from a part of Poland on the eastern border that used to be a part of Ukraine “And I had no military experience; I don’t have any medical experience So there wasn’t something really concrete that I could do at the beginning I felt very compelled to do something when the war started,” Hnatiw added She said there wasn’t anything she could do at that time so an association was formed with others who wanted to help we can fundraise to make money to buy supplies and so it kind of stemmed from that.” she said but it was helpful and the Ukrainian people were surprised they couldn’t believe that I spoke Ukrainian coming from Canada “I think stuff like that just kind of lifts them up ‘Wow,’ you know they loved that and when I told them that I went to Ukrainian school as a kid “I know that there are communities in Canada where we are holding on to the Ukrainian culture because it is dear to us,” she said “Because we know right now Russia is trying to obliterate Ukrainian people simply because they are Ukrainian “We were sitting around at a restaurant at dinnertime and when I was telling them about this that it was so important for my mom and dad to teach us our language Reimchen and Hnatiw both mentioned that the Google Translate program helped out too “Here’s kind of a funny thing,” Hnatiw said “If you’re interested in donating money like monetary funds the more local and direct that you’re able to give that donation to the more effectiveness it’s going to have,” she said “There’s a large sentiment that the big international organizations are useless it’s these little chains of volunteer teams that are getting stuff where it’s needed and where it’s used I saw their little facility they work out of “They make trips to the frontlines once a month And so they’re spending money as they get it supplies that get donated to them are not sitting there unused So I think for people who are wanting to give financial support finding the small organizations that are actually accomplishing something She said the Ukrainian Canadian Association of Yukon (UCAY) collects donations through the Whitehorse firefighters’ charitable society so people can obtain income tax receipts they have a designated Yukon-to-Ukraine fund “We have a pretty good track record at this point of spending the money on stuff that’s directly helping people I think we’re doing an honourable job with the money we are entrusted with,” 
she continued and she would encourage people to check out the UCAY those donations go directly to medical aid that we will use to bring more medications So that’s one way that Yukoners can help.” The association will continue to put out information on its Facebook page around collecting donations “because winter’s coming “And one thing that we did last fall and last winter was collect donations for the military We are still going to be collecting over-the-counter medications The territory has “lots of Ukrainian immigrants that have come here that have been forced to make a decision to leave Ukraine “A lot of them don’t want to be in another country; they had lives “And so that in itself we can support our Ukrainians here,” she continued Reimchen said she would be interested in travelling to Ukraine again they have been debriefing with their board and team members about their experience they’ve already given us the next list of medications that are in short supply,” Reimchen said there’s one piece that’s a more substantial investment that they had started looking into procuring before they ran out of time and left “But I want to pick up that thread again,” Reimchen added Hnatiw said her husband knew even before she left originally that she was talking about the “next trip and understands that this is something very important to me I definitely wouldn’t hesitate to go and transport more aid or do whatever I can “I feel very strongly that once the war is over and the rebuilding starts I’ve kind of had these ideas of how we can help in some way with that.” Hnatiw said this is one thing that regular Yukoners can think about after the war there’s gonna be a huge need for construction workers for engineers or whatever; people that can help with the structural building I think we just have to imagine it and have the will and the desire and then obviously have the backing of the financial support to procure supplies or whatever In order to encourage thoughtful and responsible discussion, website comments will not be visible until a moderator approves them. Please add comments judiciously and refrain from maligning any individual or institution. Read about our user comment and privacy policies. Your name and email address are required before your comment is posted. Otherwise, your comment will not be posted. © 2025 Whitehorse Star Limited. All rights reserved. this very incident stood a good chance of remaining unknown to the wide public as the health workers tried to sweep it under the carpet This story was given some publicity after the matter-of-fact, yet formal report from Ternopil police that affected patients’ families applied to and the patients just don`t understand what injection they were given Nashi Groshi.Lviv editorial team has been working at this complex investigation for several weeks but now we know that Ukrainian health workers can substitute the prescribed medicine for prohibited drug of unknown origin just to make several thousand hryvnias came to Chortkiv central city hospital for a planned procedure He was to get an injection into his left eye which had started deteriorating That was the third procedure of this kind for Ivan who works as a driver “After the first two injections I noticed I was improving except it was a bit cloudy… But February 16 became a black day” who went completely blind in left eye several hours after the injection We trusted our doctors; they said I have to get an injection another patients of Chortkiv health workers shares his feelings talking to Nashi Groshi.Lviv “We removed the eye tissue affected by inflammation. It’s an intraocular surgical procedure, an extremely complex surgery. Surgeons were operating all night long; 27 surgeries were performed on 22 patients”, said  Vasyl Bliakhar chief doctor of Ternopil hospital to “Suspilne” channel after several days Acute endophtalmitis is a purulent inflammation of retina’s internal layers accompanied by formation of an abscess in the vitreous body It is one of the most dangerous ophthalmologic diseases The main cause of the illness is eye damage which results in bringing of infection Health workers’ reaction and patients’ condition Making use of the secrecy of investigation Chortkiv health workers unanimously refused to provide the name of the drug they injected to their patients I’m unable to give you any comments because of [my] emotional distress” said in conversation with NashiGroshi.Lviv ophthalmologist of Chortkiv central city hospital Yaroslav Ushii He was one of three doctors making injections which resulted in patients’ blindness Ophthalmologist of Chortkiv central city hospital Yaroslav Ushii (photo by NashiGroshi.Lviv) Ushii hopes his patients will recover their sight even though it’s been quite a long time: “There are no irreversible changes We’re doing everything and we are treating them then we could say these were irreversible changes but all of them still have their eyes and it’s too early to talk about [permanent blindness]” it’s been a month and no patients regained their vision Neither victim was able to give journalists the name of the medicine they had been injected They told the same to the police – doctors just didn’t give them the name of the drug According to the information NashiGroshi.Lviv received from Ternopil police, investigators recovered the drug Altuzan with active substance bevacizumab for expert examination Doctors in Ternopil who had to perform urgent surgeries on the patient confirmed that the drug with the same active ingredient had been used in Chortkiv A patient of Chortkiv health workers who lost vision in both eyes (photo be NashiGroshi.Lviv) Mariia was injected Altuzan (bevazicumab) and she lost vision in both eyes Altuzan is a drug produced by the Swiss company Roche only for the Turkish market Even in Turkey this medicine is allowed only to treat certain cancers For some casualties in Chortkiv incident it wasn’t the first time when they received eyeball injections. All of them state that no injections caused any issues before. Halyna Zraichyk, wife of one of the patients, told us that her husband had received two previous injections with a drug called Avastin Last time they changed the drug but never told them the name “After two injections and three laser therapy procedures his condition improved considerably The last injection was supposed to fix the result He’s a driver,” says the wife of Orest Zraichyk Active substance in Avastin is the same as in Altuzan – bevazicumab The difference is that Avastin is indeed used in ophthalmology sometimes and not without unpleasant consequences (we’ll talk about these later) This means that Altuzan could only have gotten to Chortkiv as a contraband, because it’s can’t be supplied through legal channels. Still, Altuzan can be easily bought in Ukrainian online pharmacies An element of comparing a counterfeit (on the left) with the original Altuzan (on the right) Sad as it is, the answer to this question is the health workers’ greed. The thing is that one 400 mg/16 ml bottle of Avastin is intended for 28 injections and costs 36,000-38,000 hryvnias This means that one injection costs around 1,300 hryvnias a similar bottle of original Altuzan costs 14,000-16,000 hryvnias so the net cost of one injection is less than 600 hryvnias every patient of Chortkiv hospital paid 2,000 hryvnias despite the fact they were injected a counterfeit and not the original medicine Why Ukrainian ophthalmologists are using not all the way legal drugs (but not Altuzan) These drugs are much more expensive (for instance Eylea’s price is 6,500-9,000 hryvnias per injection) and patients need such injection at certain interval That’s why Ukrainian ophthalmologists, similar to their colleagues abroad, often use the cheaper Avastin from the Swiss company Roche It doesn’t hold manufacturer’s certification to be used in ophthalmology but it’s allowed under off-label procedure in many developed countries – though not in Ukraine was using Avastin because of its affordable price and people mostly choose the second option because they can’t afford to pay for expensive treatment” Ihor Novytskyi also said that he repeatedly requested the Ministry of Health to develop a Ukrainian off-label protocol to use Avastin in ophthalmology The Ministry of Health ignored NashiGroshi.Lviv’s question about the reasons behind their refusal Avastin is widely used both in Europe and in the USA, first of all because of its lower price compared to Lucentis or Eyelia which are officially intended to treat retina dystrophy. According to Taras Litvin, head of optometry department with UCSF Medical Center in San-Francisco and the side effects statistics is really low” the American ophthalmologist informed NashiGroshi.Lviv “But you need to understand that for any eyeball injections there is a risk of infection Patients are warned about these risks and that the drug is used off-label There are several ways to prevent infection Either antibiotic or antiseptic drug is put into the patient’s eyes before the procedure The incidents when patients get infected during injections do happen. For instance, in Veterans Affairs medical center in Los Angeles in 2011 or in Moscow private clinic in 2016 In both cases investigation confirmed that patients lost their eyesight because of improper use of Avastin and not because of the characteristics of the drug itself The matter is that Avastin has to be used immediately after opening; that’s why ophthalmologists who are dividing one bottle between many patients which significantly increases the risk of introducing the infection Here we should recollect the 22 patients of Chortkiv hospital who were brought together specifically for the purpose of using the entire bottle at once. So, colibacillus which caused lightning-fast progress of acute endophtalmitis and could have been introduced while the drug was dilutes with NS says a well-known Ukrainian ophthalmologist who asked to remain confidential “It was either the solution used to dilute the drug had been infected or the technology during the procedures wasn’t maintained properly Most often such incidents happen during dilution of the drug Due to loss of sterility infection can get into an eye and cause endophtalmitis,” he says chief non-staff ophthalmologist with the Ministry of Health refused to comment on the situation in Chortkiv for NashiGroshi.Lviv While preparing to publish this investigation NashiGroshi.Lviv learned from several independent sources about a similar incident that happened several weeks age in Lviv Regional Clinical Hospital where eight patients lost vision after Avastin injection Lviv health workers are trying to help the patients recover their sight and keep it quiet head of ophthalmology department in Lviv Regional Clinical Hospital neither confirmed nor refuted the information about the unfortunate incident in the hospital and head doctor of Lviv Regional Clinical Hospital refused to provide any information whatsoever head of Healthcare Department with Lviv Regional Military Administration stated that neither hospital administration nor patients informed him about the cases of patients losing vision So, if you or your relatives lost sight as a result of a similar incident or you work in Lviv Regional Clinical Hospital and can provide more information, contact NashiGroshi.Lviv editorial team at our email editor@ngl.media (confidentiality guaranteed) Ternopil police started an investigation under art. 140 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (health workers or pharmacists’ improper performance of their professional duties) The recovered bottle of Altuzan was sent to Kyiv for expert examination The affected patients received free post-surgery treatment for almost a month Doctors are offering lens replacement surgery to some of them It’s not clear whether this surgery would help because lens replacement surgery is recommended for cataract (eye lens opacity) as several ophthalmologists explained to NashiGroshi.Lviv Do the victims stand any chance to obtain at least justice a lawyer specializing in medical cases believes they do “Any patient has the constitutional right to safe medical care and medical institutions or doctors who violated this right have to compensate for both moral and material damage it is calculated based on treatment expenses Additional surgeries and rehabilitation service are also taken into account missed profit is also regarded as material damage it is a life-changing experience and irreversible damage to a person’s health If a person was capable to work and lost vision we can calculate material loss based on average income they had before they lost their vision until retirement age courts can consider cases and take decisions at their own discretion The most complicated part is compensating moral damages Our legal system has been in place for a long time now but there are still no clear criteria to identify the depth of suffering related to moral and psychological damage conduct competent psychological expert evaluation and substantiate the moral injury and how much it affected the lifestyle and the person’s capabilities in general We do understand that doctors and the healthcare facility will reject those amounts and do their best to decrease them Our court practice is quite ambiguous in these cases Podilskyi district court in Kyiv considered a case where a 9-year-old boy’s eye surgery went wrong resulting in vision loss in one eye Moral damages were awarded only in amount of 9,000 hryvnias the same court awarded 600,000 hryvnias in moral damages to a woman whose dental treatment of two teeth weren’t up to the standard because of the absence of clear-cut criteria our courts are playing games and everything depends on lawyers’ skills Law enforcement should definitely consider both the article about medical negligence and documents forgery because when health workers stared covering their tracks they also forged medical documentation which is an separate additional article we come across an interesting moment: how did they get it A hospital is liable for standards of services provision and if it uses drugs of unknown origin – that is those that hadn’t been officially procured or brought by the patient himself – numerous questions about its use and the hospital’s commercial activity arise Patients can request the hospital through the pre-trial procedure for compensation of moral and material damages including expenses for further rehabilitation or surgery If the hospital is interested to keep their reputation they can start settling this issue right now It won’t save them from criminal liability while pre-trial investigation is happening it’s possible to prepare civil suits which can be filed against the persons to be officially charged Civil suit is filed either during pre-trial investigation or during the first appointed court session it’s possible to demand compensation of legal fees I advise people to go to the nearest pro bono legal aid bureau where they will be given a lawyer at the expense of the state they can enter legal fees into compensation list NGL.media is an independent anticorruption center founded by a group of journalists in 2013 under the name of «Nashi Groshi.Lviv» NGL.media is working owing to support from international donors and readers; NGO «Lviv Group» is a website publisher All NGL.media materials can be freely distributed provided the hyperlink to the original publication is included Lost your password? Щоб приєднатися до нашої спільноти, оберіть один із рівнів підтримки за цим посиланням To read the whole feature about the Ukrainian Canadian Association of Yukon trip to Ukraine, click here For more news from Canada visit CBC News and website in this browser for the next time I comment.