Country: Ukraine Source: Norwegian Refugee Council Ukrainian families are being devastated by attacks on civilian homes and infrastructure, with a combination of air strikes and drone attacks compounding the exhaustion following four years of war and privation. Ukraine: Families in the firing line Ukrainian families are being devastated by attacks on civilian homes and infrastructure, with a combination of air strikes and drone attacks compounding the exhaustion following four years of war and privation. As war in the Middle East escalates, sustained violence against civilians in Ukraine must not be forgotten, warns Norwegian Refugee Council’s (NRC) Secretary General Jan Egeland during a visit to Sumy oblast, north-east Ukraine. “The level of destruction I witnessed in civilian areas in the northern city of Shostka, and from the communities close to the Russian border, is horrendous,” said Egeland. “Homes, schools and hospitals lie in ruins. The harrowing stories from families—of drones hunting civilians in broad daylight, of loved ones killed while fetching water or tending gardens—leave one speechless. Ukrainians have endured these daily attacks for years. While the world now watches new crises unfold elsewhere, communities in Ukraine continue to live under daily threat from the skies.” Across Ukraine, almost 10,000 drones and 500 missiles have been deployed by Russian forces since the start of the year, killing 349 civilians and injuring over 1,500. On the 10th of March, guided bombs killed at least two civilians and injured one in the city of Hlukhiv. Close to 50 of such attacks have taken place in the northern Sumy region since the start of the year resulting in widespread damage to power lines, communications and critical infrastructure, leaving communities without electricity and water. These attacks continue to push thousands into displacement amidst deteriorating humanitarian needs. “The cruel energy war left families without heating, electricity or water d