Displaying items by tag: Europe

On 29 August Ukraine gained a foothold less than three miles from Russia’s defensive lines in the Zaporizhzhya region, and the village of Robotyne was liberated following weeks of fighting over the settlement. When Ukrainian forces split to launch another attack in-between the villages of Novodanylivka and Verbove, prominent Russian military blogger Romanov (with 135,000 followers) described the current situation for Russia as ‘very dangerous.’ But sadly, there has been a dramatic rise in Ukraine's death toll. The grim task of counting the dead is a daily reality, with the unknown soldiers piled high in a small brick mortuary, not far from the Donetsk front line. The figures remain classified, but US officials recently put the number at 70,000 dead and as many as 120,000 injured. It is a staggering figure, from armed forces estimated at only half a million strong. The UN has reported 9,177 civilian deaths. 9,177 civilian deaths.

In Greece, the largest wildfire ever recorded in the European Union has prompted the EU to mobilise almost half of its firefighting air wing to help tackle it. Greece's fire service told the AFP news agency that the fire is still out of control in their nature reserve, a major sanctuary for birds of prey. It is raging across a six-mile front. Fire department officials arrested two men for deliberate arson, while hundreds of firefighters battled wildfires which have killed at least 21 people. Pray for those mourning the dead, and for those who have watched fires consume their homes. Pray for those in fear as they watch vast tracts of forest blaze, and for the civilians who have been evacuated from the towns of Avra, Atarni and Plaka.

War terror is causing millions to flee, including Jewish people who also face antisemitism from both sides. Boris, from Donetsk, said it was very dangerous to stay in an area being frequently shelled. He and his wife practically lived in the basement for fear. ‘And when a shell hit a neighbouring house, we immediately began to gather our documents.’ So the whole family has now been able to join their middle son, who had been urging them to come and live in Israel for the past five years. Nina, from Tbilisi, says being forced out of her country added to her heartache following the death of her husband. But she is now hoping for a little rest, and a better life, in Israel, where she has relatives.

Recently we have seen waves of Islamic unrest across France; Muslims engaging in street skirmishes in Spain; and Muslim migrant-related assaults in Germany. Hundreds of Muslims in an English mosque, holding Qurans high, have pledged their allegiance to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and praised martyrs who ‘bled red’ for the ‘axis of resistance’. Two Austrian Muslim teenagers confessed that they intended to attack a Christian school and ‘restore the caliphate’. When confronted in court on 16 July, they admitted, ‘We wanted to shoot all the Christians in the classes.’ When asked what they would do if police intervened, they said they would have surrendered: ‘Allah forgives, and killing Christians takes us to paradise’. Meanwhile, Sweden has elevated the threat level from three to four on a scale of five due to recent Quran burnings.

Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin is presumed dead, having been named as one of ten passengers in a private jet that crashed north of Moscow. A key ally of Vladimir Putin, his private military company has played a key role in Ukraine following Moscow's invasion in February 2022. But his relationship with Putin soured after he ordered his troops to march on Moscow in a day-long rebellion against Russia's military leaders in June. The details of the crash are not clear, but claims that it was shot down have not been substantiated. The following day Putin said he had sent condolences to Prigozhin’s family.  His death will leave Putin stronger in the short term, removing a powerful figure who had played an important part in the war but had also been openly critical of Russia’s military leaders.

Jews in Paris face enormous pressures from more and more antisemitism acts. The International Jewish Mission (IJM) is there this summer to reach out to Paris’s Jewish community with the truth and hope of Jesus. Over 250,000 Jewish people live in Paris and its suburbs. IJM is seeking our prayers today for people like Harry. He still struggles to believe, because the horrors he and his family experienced during the Holocaust made him an ardent atheist. Since meeting Aurel from IJM and hearing the Gospel, he has softened a bit, admitting that he is not sure now if there is a God. He recently said to Aurel, ‘I really wish I had your faith.’ Aurel is leading the outreach, and knows God will help them connect with more Jewish people so they can hear about Jesus and be saved. Pray for God to open Jewish eyes and hearts as the Good News is shared with them.

Thirty conscription officials in Ukraine have been accused of taking cash and cryptocurrency bribes to smuggle people out of the country. All men over the age of 18 capable of fighting are eligible to be conscripted, and most adult men under the age of 60 are prohibited from leaving the country. Mr Zelensky posted a video on social media saying, ‘Conscription officials who took bribes and smuggled people out of the country have been sacked in an anti-corruption purge. Bribery at a time of war is high treason’. The president's office said that the corruption allegations pose a threat to Ukraine's national security and undermine confidence in state institutions. Replacement officials will be chosen from candidates with battlefield experience and vetted by the intelligence service.

Demyan Kevorkyan, a prisoner released early to fight with Wagner mercenaries is accused of a double murder after returning home from the war. He was arrested for killing a young man and woman on their way home from work. He is not the only convict who was freed early to fight and then reoffended. It is confirmed that suspects in about twenty serious offences, including rape and murder, are fighters recruited from prison by Wagner to fight in Ukraine. Kevorkyan was one of 150 prisoners recruited on 31 August 2022, and was later spotted back in his home village of Pridorozhnaya in south-west Russia telling people he had just returned from the battlefields of Ukraine.

At a meeting in Norway where NATO alliance members were discussing how the 18-month-old war might be brought to an end, Stian Jenssen, chief of staff to NATO’s secretary general, said, ‘I think a solution could be for Ukraine to give up territory, and get NATO membership in return.’ Jenssen noted that discussions about Ukraine’s postwar status were continuing in diplomatic circles. Jenssen was careful to stress that he was simply airing an idea and that ‘it must be up to Ukraine to decide when and on what terms they want to negotiate’, reflecting NATO’s position that no peace settlement should be agreed without Ukraine’s assent. Kyiv said a land-for-NATO deal would reward Russian aggression.

Freedom has brought good progress in Lithuania. Doors for the gospel remain open. However, freedom has also brought dangers like greed for material goods, selfish pleasure-seeking, and a belief that traditional morals have no value. Substance abuse, suicide, and trafficking of women for prostitution all damage the social foundations. Spiritual transformation must accompany economic growth. Lithuania was the last European nation to be Christianised.