For more than 4 years now, war has been raging in Ukraine.
This is a tragedy that also affects the Salesians and Salesian Sisters of Don Bosco, who find themselves at the heart of the crisis today. At the risk of their lives, Salesian brothers and sisters are doing everything possible to continue their mission and protect the young people and populations entrusted to them.
The Salesian Presence in Ukraine
The Salesians are present on site in both rites: the Roman rite (the one we know in France) and the Greek Catholic rite.
For this first one – attached to the «Salesian Province of Southern Poland» (PLS) – the Salesians work on five sites in Ukraine: Odessa (3 confreres), Korostyshiv (3 confreres), Zhytomyr (2 confreres), Peremyshlany (2 confreres), and Bibrka (4 confreres).
Regarding the Greek-Catholic rite – in the service of the Salesian Province of Ukraine (UKR) – communities are established in the various major cities: Kyiv, Lviv, Zhytomyr, Dnipro.
The situation
Faced with the humanitarian crisis, Salesians are trying to protect the young people welcomed into their projects and centers as much as possible. This involves: transporting young people from centers in Eastern Ukraine to safer cities in the West; welcoming (and therefore creating spaces for) refugees in western cities; and building bomb shelters.
The orphanage in Lviv, which currently houses 70 young people, is taking in more children from orphanages in eastern Ukraine and families in need. «We are preparing the spaces. When the refugees arrive, we could accommodate up to 300 people. We also need to think about getting supplies for housing the refugees (mattresses, beds, blankets, etc.). We will certainly also have to help by providing food,» Father Chaban continues. «The situation is tragic. We are preparing for even more difficult times... We don't know how long this war will continue, and we must be ready for an even longer period.»
Salesian works, a benchmark for the local population (ANS – Kyiv – 02/2026)
«Since the beginning of the Russian invasion on February 24, four years ago, Ukraine has known no respite and continues to suffer severe damage to its energy infrastructure due to bombings. Power plants, substations, and electricity transmission networks are regularly hit, causing prolonged power outages that can last for hours, or even days. In winter, these outages become a true humanitarian emergency: without electricity, heating and hot water disappear. The most vulnerable – children, the elderly, and those with chronic illnesses – are the first to pay the highest price.
In this context, the Salesian works have become constant landmarks for the entire population. The Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (FMA) and the Salesians of Don Bosco (SDB) present in the country have transformed houses, oratories, and youth centers into reception facilities, which house displaced families, distribute hot meals, keep schools open, and offer spiritual support and prayer times. In many cities, Salesian centers have become the only place to find a minimum of stability and support. (…)
Hope endures under the bombs. Destroyed schools, interrupted classes, forced displacement, and constant power and heating outages are part of a daily life that is far from normal.
In this context, Salesian missionaries have maintained a constant commitment to children and young people, guaranteeing access to education as an essential tool for protection and hope. During these four years, Salesian schools and youth centers have continued to operate, adapting to security conditions, setting up shelters, and ensuring the continuity of educational programs, even during the harshest winter months.
As Father Mykhaylo Chaban, Superior of the Salesian Vice-Province «Mary Help of Christians» of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UKR), explains, «the help we have received and continue to receive from around the world gives us hope and sustains us in facing the challenges of the war, especially during the harsh winters. Thanks to the solidarity of thousands of people, we have electricity and heating, and many children can go to school.».
In addition to classroom work, humanitarian aid remains essential for thousands of Ukrainian citizens. Salesian missionaries, such as Father Oleh Ladnyuk, travel to areas near the front lines to distribute food, blankets, generators, and fuel, thus supporting families living in particularly vulnerable areas. This constant presence, even in high-risk contexts, has allowed them to help communities that would otherwise have remained isolated.
The Don Bosco Foundation mobilized
Thanks to the many donors and the support of the Modilac Laboratory, we were able to send over 10 tons of infant milk formula to the people in Ukraine.
«The Don Bosco Foundation and the Modilac Laboratory have teamed up to deliver thousands of boxes of infant milk to Ukraine. Modilac «Précision» milk, produced in Normandy, has been arriving in Zhytomyr (a city located 140 km west of Kyiv) since mid-October 2024, received by Father Michel Wocial, a Salesian of Don Bosco and head of the Salesian mission in Zhytomyr. This milk is being distributed to Ukrainian families in need.
In total, the cargo represents nearly 10 tons of products destined for populations weakened by more than three years of conflict.
The Salesians of Don Bosco, a congregation founded in 1859, are present in 136 countries and serve over 2 million young people in nearly 8,500 works. They have been present in Ukraine for many years. Since the beginning of the conflict, various Salesian foundations, including the Don Bosco Foundation (France-Belgium), have launched numerous aid operations for the local population, particularly for young people.
This shipment was made possible thanks to the generosity of donors from the Don Bosco Foundation, who mobilized, and the Don Bosco and Modilac teams.» (excerpt from the March 2025 press release)
