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effort. The long-term recovery needs will be enormous. It will be necessary to coordinate the efforts of all participants: the European Union, member states, European financial institutions, international organizations, and the private sector. Pisonero added that it is necessary to start planning this work now. To ensure that Ukraine’s priority needs are met, the EU has provided macro-financial support, but within the framework of long-term recovery, it is time to get to work, Pisonero stressed.
Russia reportedly hiring mercenaries in the Balkans. The Balkans are the main source of mercenary fighters for Russia, according to the National Resistance Center, an organization operated by Ukraine's Special Forces.
A total of 7,915,287 Ukrainian refugees have arrived in European countries since Russia launched its special military operation, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said on Wednesday. According to the information available to the UNHCR, the number has increased by 18,462 in the first week of January .
The UNHCR said that between February 24, 2022 and January 3, 2023, the biggest number of 2,852,395 people sought refuge in Russia. It is followed by Poland (1,553,707), Germany (1,021,667), the Czech Republic (476,025), Italy (173,231), Spain (164,705), the UK (152,200), Bulgaria (148,451), France (118,994), Romania (106,786), Slovakia (105,205) and Moldova (102,103). The figure does not exceed 100,000 people in other states. As many as 4,905,293 refugees are included in national temporary protection and support programs.
The impact of the Dnipro tragedy following Russia’s massive strike: 30 killed and 75 wounded. On January 14, Russia again attacked Ukraine with a massive missile strike. The first explosions rang out in Kyiv even before the air raid alert sirens sounded. As a result of the morning attack, private houses and a car were damaged in the capital. The death toll from the Russian missile attack on an apartment building in Dnipro, Ukraine, has risen to 30, according to Natalia Babachenko, adviser to the head of the Dnipropetrovsk region military administration. According to her, 39 apartment building residents were rescued from the rubble. However, the fate of more than 40 people is still unknown. Energy facilities in the Kharkiv, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Zaporizhzhya, Vinnytsia, and Kyiv regions were also damaged. State energy company Ukrenergo reported that their electricity production was stopped or reduced due to thermal power plant damage.
A newly created state agency will manage Ukraine’s reconstruction. The government has created a new entity associated with the Ministry of Infrastructure called the State Agency for Reconstruction and Development of Infrastructure of Ukraine. As Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal explained, the agency will optimize work processes and strive to avoid chaos in the planning and implementation of projects. Shmyhal noted that for this year, funds totaling UAH 110B have been sourced for reconstruction. At the same time, he expects the state to accumulate six times this amount to restore infrastructure and housing for Ukrainians as early as this year. For the new agency to fulfill its tasks, the Ministry of Infrastructure will initiate negotiations with partners to update the Reform Support Team and launch an anti-corruption office in the capital and in each of the regions. The State Recovery Agency will be responsible for the infrastructure reconstruction's efficiency, transparency, and accountability.
16 UKRAINE Country Report February 2023 www.intellinews.com