WESTERN UKRAINE (BP) — Ukraine’s western region bore the brunt of Russia’s largest air strike to date in its invasion of Ukraine on July 9, with children among the most vulnerable victims of the lingering war.

Russia launched 728 exploding drones and decoys, Ukraine’s Air Force reported, exceeding the previous record of 539 drones less than a week earlier. Military analysts predict nightly launches of 1,000 drones by autumn, the New York Times reported.

Among those impacted are nearly a generation of children, those born after Russia attacked Crimea in 2014, who have never seen peace in their home country, as well as orphaned and displaced teenagers.

Mission Eurasia offers a respite from the war in summer Bible camps held in 14 countries, reaching displaced children who live as refugees and, according to experts including UNICEF, have missed crucial elements of their formative years, such as playtime with friends and the loving support of parents.

With the help of churches and other partners, Mission Eurasia is serving more than 30,000 Ukrainian children in camps this summer, offering trauma care, stability and hope, Mission Eurasia President Sergey Rakhuba told Baptist Press.

“Imagine your child growing up without a home, without peace, without rest. That’s reality for so many. But our camps create a sacred refuge — far from drones and bombs — where children are seen, heard and reminded that they are not forgotten,” Rakhuba said. “Our work doesn’t remove the pain. It doesn’t erase the trauma. But it does meet children in the middle of their suffering. God uses these moments — not because the pain isn’t real, but because His hope is greater.”

About 70% of Ukraine’s children, 3.5 million of them, lack access to such basic needs as food and shelter, UNICEF said in a report on July 10, indicating an adverse impact on their long-term development, education and health.

At least 2,786 children have been killed or injured in the war since February 2022, UNICEF said in the report.

With cities destroyed and families fractured, Mission Eurasia works to offer spiritually and emotionally safe environments where volunteers trained in trauma care can help children begin to heal, the ministry said.

An anonymous donor has offered a conditional $200,000 grant contingent upon matching funds to support the camps, Mission Eurasia announced, with donations accepted.

“This extraordinary gift comes from a faithful supporter who has seen firsthand the urgent need to reach children across Eurasia this summer. Though they’ve chosen to remain anonymous, their heart is anything but hidden,” Rakhuba said. “They shared this verse with us as the reason behind their generosity: ‘The Lord is able to give thee much more than this.’” (2 Chronicles 25:9).

Concurrently, Mission Eurasia continues to advocate for an estimated 20,000 or more Ukrainian children Russia has forcibly taken from Ukraine since the 2022 invasion, with the Yale Research Lab estimating as many as 35,000 Ukrainian children have been abducted.

“The world must not look away. Tens of thousands of Ukrainian children have been forcibly taken from their families and captured by Russians, an act intended to erase Ukrainian heritage, diminish the nation’s future by stripping it of its youth and undermine the sovereignty of Ukraine. This situation mirrors some of the darkest chapters in history,” Rakhuba said.

Mission Eurasia is collaborating with partners to raise awareness of the crisis which Rakhuba described as underreported, in hopes of protecting more children from the growing threat.

“Most importantly, we want to support children who have experienced unimaginable trauma,” he said. “We believe that every child deserves to return home, to be healed, and to know they are seen, known and loved. We pray that all children will be reunited with their families and that they are surrounded by the protection of our Lord.”

While the war has stymied children’s developmental years, Mission Eurasia believes Scripture has the power to put them back on track.

“When a child hears, maybe for the first time, that they are loved by God and not forgotten, that can change the trajectory of a life, which can change a whole family or village,” Rakhuba said. “We will continue working with endurance to raise up the next generations of young believers who will carry light into some of the darkest places on earth.”

Mission Eurasia, based in Franklin, Tenn., was founded in 1991 after the collapse of the Soviet Union to take the gospel to 14 former Soviet countries.

(EDITOR’S NOTE — Diana Chandler is Baptist Press’ senior writer.)