Sadly, as of March 29, 2022, seven more of our brothers and sisters in the city of Mariupol have died. Altogether, 17 brothers and sisters in Ukraine have lost their lives.

Disaster Relief Committees (DRCs) in Ukraine are working tirelessly to provide relief aid, even risking their own lives to search for their fellow worshippers in war-torn areas.

For example, the brothers working with the DRCs have successfully delivered food, medicine, and other necessities to hard-hit cities, such as Kharkiv, Kramatorsk, and Mariupol. One DRC member makes a daily trip of over 500 kilometers (310 mi), passing through many military checkpoints, delivering food and medicine to about 2,700 publishers.

The DRCs also organize transportation to rescue our brothers and sisters out of the war zone. One brother from the Chernihiv DRC related: “When the army started shelling residences, it was clear that it was too dangerous to remain in the city. Since electricity and Internet were not working, during the bombings, elders rushed through the city to inform publishers sheltering in basements that transportation was available to help them flee the city.”

The owner of a transportation business agreed to use his vans and buses, and he made nine trips to rescue 254 of our brothers and sisters from Chernihiv. On one occasion, he even fixed a road using heavy equipment so that his bus could pass through. Our brothers were grateful for such help.

We grieve with those who have lost loved ones during this ongoing war. We all look forward to the realization of the hope contained in God’s Word, the Bible, when death and mourning will be no more.—Revelation 21:3, 4.

As of March 29, 2022, the following totals have been reported from Ukraine. These statistics are based on confirmed reports from the local brothers. However, the actual numbers may be higher, since it is difficult to maintain communication with all regions of the country.

• 17 publishers have died

• 35 publishers have been injured

• 36,313 publishers have fled their homes to safer areas

• 114 homes were destroyed

• 144 homes sustained major damage

• 612 homes sustained minor damage

• 1 Kingdom Hall was destroyed

• 7 Kingdom Halls sustained major damage

• 23 Kingdom Halls sustained minor damage

• 27 DRCs are operating in Ukraine

• 34,739 publishers were assisted directly by the DRCs to find safer accommodations

• 16,175 of the displaced publishers have fled to other countries and are being assisted by fellow worshippers