Fleeing economic hardship and ongoing war in their native country, some 400 new immigrants from Ukraine are scheduled to arrive in Israel on Wednesday and Thursday via two special flights coordinated by the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews.
This is part of an influx of more than 1,000 immigrants from eight countries who have emigrated to Israel this summer through the organization.
Since the 2013-2014 Maidan revolution and government crackdown, which brought violence to the streets of Kiev and was subsequently followed by a Russia-backed invasion of eastern Ukraine—heavy fighting was seen in Mariupol, Donetsk and Lugansk, the last two of which remain occupied by Russian separatists. Many Jews have been forced to leave their homes, while others have seen their homes, synagogues and communities damaged by shelling or lost people close to them.
As of 2014, at least 13,500 Jews have fled Ukraine.
Many who have remained include the elderly or those who still have jobs in the country, whose eastern front bore the brunt of the conflict.