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People leave the aid camp at the Poland-Ukraine border in Medyka, Poland. Adam Lach for NPR hide caption

People leave the aid camp at the Poland-Ukraine border in Medyka, Poland.

MEDYKA, Poland On a warm, windy day in the middle of May, Harry Scrymgeour is hard at work breaking down a humanitarian relief tent that helped thousands of Ukrainians during the height of Europe's refugee crisis.

"Of course, the sort of great joy in tearing down this camp is that it has been useful. It is no longer useful," Scrymgeour says.

That's because the flow of refugees from Ukraine has actually reversed at the Polish border crossing in Medyka, where his group is based, with more people now going into Ukraine than out.

Scrymgeour is part of Siobhan's Trust, a small Scottish charity named after his late mother. They have been here since the start of the war, back when temperatures were below freezing and the refugee intake was high.

Harry Scrymgeour works at a humanitarian relief tent, part of Siobhan's Trust, a small Scottish charity named after his late mother. Adam Lach for NPR hide caption

During the peak of the crisis, 1,500 Ukrainians were crossing into Poland every hour at Medyka, and humanitarian workers rushed to the Polish side of the border to help.

Today, Siobhan's Trust receives more requests for pizza from other aid workers passing the time than refugees themselves. And in response, people like Scrymgeour, and another aid group Humanity First U.K., are adapting new strategies.

Three days after the war began, Humanity First U.K. set up medical tents on both sides of the Poland-Ukraine border. Back then, they would provide around-the-clock medical care. These days, the tent is filled with more staff than patients.

"We're not seeing as much of the medical influx that we used to," says Dr. Aziz Hafiz, the chairman of Humanity First U.K.

Aid organizations provide food for refugees coming from Ukraine at the border in Medyka, Poland. Adam Lach for NPR hide caption

They have treated more than 26,000 people since the war started, and while they are still helping some refugees, they have shifted focus to supporting their efforts inside Ukraine, where they provide medication to orphanages and hospitals.

Because while the scene at Medyka is one of relative calm, the violence and death continues in the south and east of Ukraine as Russia now focuses its attack there. More than 6 million people have left Ukraine since the war began, and another 6 million or so are displaced within the country.

"So it's essentially a base point until the war is over," Hafiz says of Medyka, "Where we can actually then shift camp into cities and villages where needed."

The location next to the border is convenient for his team to cross and deliver medical supplies, while also still treating issues like cardiac arrest, diabetes and high blood pressure from those who do leave Ukraine.

Dr. Aziz Hafiz is the chairman of Humanity First U.K. Adam Lach for NPR hide caption

"People that have become refugees do not have their basic medical supplies that they will usually carry with them," Hafiz says.

"There's a lot of tooing and froing, as families are struggling to juggle lives on both sides."

Back at Siobhan's Trust, volunteers dish out coffee and churn out the last few pizzas before they shut down their tent at Medyka and turn elsewhere.

"We wanted to keep this alive just in case we could react to a new wave of refugees that might need our help," Scrymgeour says. "But right now, all our resources are going towards delivering food to places where there are refugees who are going to be there for the medium time."

Volunteers from the World Central Kitchen prepare food for Ukrainian refugees crossing the Polish border in Medyka, Poland. Adam Lach for NPR hide caption

For Siobhan's Trust, this isn't the end of the war or their ability to help it's the start of the next phase that could continue for months or even years to come.

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Aid groups plan for the next phase as the flow of refugees leaving Ukraine slows - NPR

What starts as a simple walk through the countryside quickly turns into a scene out of Dantes Infierno. While it may seem like just another of the many forests that surround Kyiv, it is the site of one of the Russian armys greatest defeats in Ukraine. Not only did the Kremlins troops fail to take the Ukrainian capital after the February 24 invasion, but on the night of March 27, they were the victims of a fierce counterattack. At 11pm, according to some locals, the local Ukrainian army destroyed part of the huge camp that the invaders had set up between the towns of Bucha and Borodianka.

The bombing was so intense it wiped out everything within a 200- to 300-meter radius. There is no information on how many Russian soldiers were deployed at the camp, but based on its size it spread over numerous hectares it could have been home to thousands of troops. None of the locals in the area know how many of the soldiers died in the shelling or in the explosions caused by the strike. It seems that corpses are the only thing authorities have taken away.

At the beginning of the track leading to the site, there are traces of civilization. One might think it is trash left behind by campers: a boot, a piece of plastic, a piece of clothing, food scraps... A few hundred meters ahead, the scene changes and its obvious that no camper could have been responsible for such wreckage. Its also clear this is no place for a leisurely stroll. Several signs nailed to the edge of the path warn of the possible presence of mines.

Huge trenches the size of garages begin to appear one after the other. The ramps leading into them suggest that they were used to camouflage vehicles. Some of these holes, covered with logs and branches, have been turned into underground bunkers. Some still even have sleeping mats in them. There are also hut-like structures, made from branches and tarpaulin, which look like they could have been used for toilets. There are more clothes and boots, makeshift clotheslines, green wooden and metal boxes. These contain ammunition. Through the pine trees, the first burned-out military vehicle appears. Its difficult to conceive what nature is hiding ahead.

There is no trace of human life, only death. Two sticks tied together to make a cross are placed over a grave. It belongs to a Russian soldier, says Slava, a local who is acting as a guide. Further on, there are six empty graves next to what appear to be the remains of other makeshift crosses. These were Ukrainians and they were dug up, he adds. These victims got a second, less undignified farewell. After a while, Slava says that the worst of the destruction is coming up. Slava takes a certain pride in being able to show proof of the Russian defeat, announcing it as though telling tourists at the cathedral of Notre Dame that they were about to see the main attraction, the temples famous gargoyles.

But first, there are washing machines, television sets and other household appliances that have been devoured by the flames. These are the remains of what Russians were stealing from houses and left behind, says Slava with a touch of hatred. Other locals from villages under Russian occupation also say that Russian troops looted their homes, sometimes even robbing clothes to combat the harsh winter weather and morsels of food to drive away their hunger.

Food, however, did reach this forest camp. Remnants of individual rations with the Russian Army logo on the package can be seen strewn about. There is even a copy of Russias official government newspaper Krasnaya Zvezda or Red Star from Friday, March 18. Vladimir Putin: We will fight for the right to be and continue being Russia, is the main headline on the front page, which appears next to a photograph of President Vladimir Putin. Other articles in the newspaper speak of Goebbels-style Western fabrications and the historical roots of Ukrainian Nazism.

Up ahead, the attack has left a circular clearing in the woods. Some of the trees are burned out, others are split in half or splintered almost artistically. And just a short walk on, the scene turns into something from a war movie.

Strewn across the forest are the charred remains of dozens of trucks and other vehicles. Some are a hunk of scrap metal. Others are more recognizable, but have been hit so hard by the shelling that light passes through them like water through a sieve. Ammunition and shells of all calibers are scattered across the ground, as well as documentation that miraculously escaped the flames, the remains of uniforms, burnt metal trunks...

Russian forces had razed this area to the ground and occupied it for a month. When Putin failed to seize control of Kyiv, the troops prepared to withdraw at the end of March. But a bitter farewell awaited them. It was in the midst of these preparations, on March 27, when the Russian troops were met with a fierce counterattack. According to Slava, it lit up the night as if it were daytime.

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Ground zero of one of the Russian armys greatest defeats in Ukraine - EL PAS in English

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Russias invasion of Ukraine has roiled global food and energy markets, exposing nearly a fifth of humanity to supply disruptions and the risks of poverty and hunger, UN chief Antonio Guterres warned on Wednesday.

The UN Secretary General said the invasion was supercharging a three-dimensional crisis food, energy and finance that is pummelling some of the worlds most vulnerable people.

He spoke as Russian forces continued shelling Ukrainian towns and cities in a war that began on February 24, killing thousands, hitting exports from breadbasket regions and prompting harsh sanctions against Moscow from mostly western nations.

We are now facing a perfect storm that threatens to devastate the economies of developing countries, Mr Guterres told reporters in New York.

As many as 1.7 billion people one third of whom are already living in poverty are now highly exposed to disruptions in food, energy and finance systems that are triggering increases in poverty and hunger.

A 22-page report released on Wednesday by the UNs Global Crisis Response Group said 36 countries import more than half of their wheat from the breadbasket regions of Russia and Ukraine, where fighting has stopped farmers from planting crops.

They include many struggling and conflict-riven economies across the Middle East and Africa, including Egypt, Yemen, Libya, Syria, as well as wealthy importers in the oil-rich Gulf, such as Qatar and the UAE.

The British charity Oxfam said this week that Palestinian stockpiles of wheat could run out in three weeks because of 25 per cent price increases.

The group's country director Shane Stevenson said many Palestinians were struggling to meet their basic needs".

Wheat prices have jumped by 30 per cent since the start of the year and fertiliser prices have doubled, the UN report says. Oil prices have surged by 60 per cent compared with last year, while natural gas prices have jumped by 50 per cent in recent months.

As prices climb, so does hunger and malnutrition especially for young children, said Mr Guterres.

Children play with a therapeutic dog at a shelter organised by volunteers in Zaporizhzhya, Ukraine. Reuters

The study, titled the Global Impact of War in Ukraine on Food, Energy and Finance Systems, says many developing economies are being battered a second time after the ravaging effects of the coronavirus pandemic, supply line chaos and lockdowns.

Many developing economies are drowning in debt, with bond yields already on the rise since last September, leading to increased risk premiums and exchange rate pressures, said Mr Guterres.

This is setting in motion a potential vicious circle of inflation and stagnation.

Governments need to work together on keeping a lid on prices with a steady flow of food and energy through open markets and the lifting of export restrictions, said the former prime minister of Portugal.

Countries must resist hoarding, and release strategic stockpiles and additional reserves of food and energy, while shifting their economies to cleaner, renewable energy and supporting debt relief plans at this months World Bank meetings, he added.

The report makes no mention of the crippling economic sanctions that the US, Europe and others have imposed on Russia since it invaded Ukraine, which Moscow says is really to blame for supply shocks and inflation.

Above all, this war must end, said Mr Guterres.

The people of Ukraine cannot bear the violence being inflicted on them. And the most vulnerable people around the globe cannot become collateral damage in yet another disaster for which they bear no responsibility.

Updated: April 13, 2022, 4:01 PM

Originally posted here:
UN: Economic turmoil from Ukraine invasion hitting 1.7 ...

One of the features of modern warfare is the role played by non-state militias, and Ukraine is no exception. Reporting of the war has highlighted the role of the Wagner Group on the Russian side, for instance. This 6,000 strong mercenary force, which is usually based in Africa and recently saw action in the Sahel, is believed to be funded by Yevgeny Prigozhin, a businessman with close links to Vladimir Putin.

About 1,000 Wagner Group fighters have been drafted in as part of the invasion. It was reported at the end of March that members of the group had been tasked with finding and assassinating the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky.

Alongside the Wagner Group, Moscow has also drafted in militia volunteers from both Chechnya and Syria to reinforce the Russian army ahead of assaults on key strategic areas in Ukraine. On the other side, Ukraine has relied heavily upon established militias such as the Azov Battalion, as well as newly formed civilian militias, to repel Russian armed forces.

Militias are armed non-state groups that are usually recruited from the civilian population to support state security forces, primarily during times of emergency. These para-militarised, quasi-institutional groups strengthen both the quantity and sometimes the quality of the states military capability.

Governments often contract militia groups to conduct operations against armed rebel organisations during counterinsurgency warfare. In Colombia, the Bogota government enlisted the support of right-wing paramilitary groups often trained by the US in its war against Farc and other left-wing insurgent groups. Militias have also been used by governments as a protector against internal threats, such as threats of coups from other state actors, including the military.

Depending on how close the militia is to the government, the state may provide weapons, resources, training and intelligence to the group. In other cases, a state will delegate power to a militia to conduct military operations on its behalf.

Militias have also often been used by states in inter-state warfare, so their use in the war in Ukraine is unsurprising. What is surprising is the role these militias are playing in the conflict. Militias deployed by Russia are tightly controlled, recruited, directed and resourced by Russias government and armed forces. On the Ukrainian side, the state-militia relationship is more ambiguous and fluid, with the Kyiv government not always securing direct control over pro-Ukrainian militias that can be deemed semi-independent or independent armed actors.

In early March, it emerged that Russia had contracted the Chechen Kadyrov militia to conduct specific operations in Ukraine, including a plot to kill President Zelensky. The deployment of the militia by Russia was also viewed as a form of psychological warfare in that it was designed to instil fear and terror into the minds of both the Ukrainian armed forces and the civilian population, given the brutality associated with the Kadyrov militia in past conflicts. Russian forces have also begun recruiting volunteers from pro-Assad militias involved in the Syrian civil war. It is believed these militias are already in Russia awaiting deployment to Ukraine.

As for the Wagner Group unlike other militias deployed by Russia it has been heavily involved in pursuing Russias foreign policy objectives in both Africa and the Middle East, and with proficiency and tactical efficiency. The group is highly professional and operates almost like a special forces organisation.

Pro-Ukrainian militias, meanwhile, tend to be more autonomous than their Russian counterparts, and have successfully used guerrilla-style tactics to repel vastly superior Russian tank and troop columns.

The Azov Battalion is the most prominent of Ukraines non-state militias. It has cooperated with the official Ukrainian armed forces and has been partly co-opted into the national guard, albeit it has retained its identity and semi-autonomous independence. The militia was formed in 2014 in response to pro-Russian separatist rebels operating in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine. It is believed to be a far-right organisation that emerged from a far-right political movement, Svoboda, designed to promote white nationalist, anti-immigrant politics.

A vast array of other smaller, pro-Ukrainian militias are also engaged in combat against Russian ground forces, including the Dnipro Battalion, funded by Ukranian banking tycoon, Ihor Kolomoisky.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian government has armed large sections of the civilian population, in effect creating a mass-mobilised pro-government militia. These citizens have also engaged Russian units in hit-and-run attacks with small arms and Molotov cocktails. The civilian militia has helped in preparing urban defences in Ukrainian cities against possible Russian advances.

The fighting looks set to shift towards the eastern regions of Ukraine, after the failure of Russian forces to take Kyiv in the first part of the war. The Donbas has been a focus for fighting by pro-Russian separatists since 2014 and has the biggest concentration of Russian speakers.

If the conflict shifts eastwards towards the Donbas region, then so too will the militias already embroiled in the conflict. Human rights abuses have been committed by militias here in the past. Away from the urban centres of Kyiv and Kharkiv, oversight of these militias by regular armed forces on both sides may become more limited.

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Ukraine war: the key role played by volunteer militias on ...

An Ukrainian man stands among the ruins at a residential area damaged by shelling in Lysychansk, Ukraine, on Wednesday. Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images hide caption

An Ukrainian man stands among the ruins at a residential area damaged by shelling in Lysychansk, Ukraine, on Wednesday.

As Wednesday draws to a close in Kyiv and in Moscow, here are the key developments of the day:

Russia continues to build up its military for the expected offensive in eastern Ukraine, including ground troops, artillery systems and helicopters. The Pentagon says Russian forces are gathering on the Russian side of the border and moving into Ukraine's eastern Donbas region, where Moscow has recognized two self-proclaimed separatist republics. Earlier, Russia's defense ministry said more than 1,000 Ukrainian marines surrendered in the port of besieged Mariupol. Ukrainian officials said a brigade of its marines in the area successfully completed a maneuver to reconnect with other Ukrainian forces. Neither claim has been independently verified. Mariupol remains contested, the Pentagon said.

The U.S. is sending another $800 million worth of weapons systems and other security assistance to Ukraine. This includes artillery systems, artillery rounds, armored personnel carriers and additional helicopters. To date, the U.S. has sent over $2 billion worth of military assistance to Ukraine.

The Kremlin decried as "unacceptable" President Biden's comment that Russian President Vladimir Putin is committing genocide in Ukraine. The U.S. historically has rarely used the word genocide, a violation of international law that is harder to prove than war crimes or crimes against humanity, as it requires evidence of intent. Biden had escalated his rhetoric in a Tuesday speech, as he blamed the Russian invasion for higher gas prices. A National Security Council representative said the shift in rhetoric from previously accusing Russia of atrocities and war crimes did not indicate a shift in the U.S. response.

The presidents of Poland, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia have traveled to Kyiv. They are the latest European leaders to visit Ukraine with a message of political support and military assistance. Earlier, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson toured Kyiv with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Economists warn Russia is on the verge of defaulting on its foreign debt for the first time since the Bolshevik Revolution more than a century ago. The country has blown past two payment deadlines on bonds sold to foreign investors, which it was supposed to pay in dollars. Citing severe sanctions imposed by the U.S. and its allies, Russia made the payments in rubles.

Ukrainians have arrived at the U.S.-Mexico border by the thousands.

Residents of a devastated Chernihiv ponder their future after a Russian siege ends.

Ukrainian Holocaust survivors flee war again this time to Germany.

Some 600 companies have withdrawn from Russia to some degree, Yale researchers say.

"All wars are fought twice": NPR's Throughline podcast examines how wars are remembered and forgotten.

Russian forces assemble in eastern Ukraine ahead of an anticipated offensive.

You can read more daily recaps here. For context and more in-depth stories, you can find NPR's full coverage here. Also, listen and subscribe to NPR's State of Ukraine podcast for updates throughout the day.

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Russia-Ukraine war: What happened today (April 13) - NPR