exactly one year ago Russia invaded Ukraine beginning a war that has by some accounts killed or injured about 100 000 ukrainians and over 150 000 Russians since its start there have been about 8 000 Ukrainian civilian deaths and just over 13 000 injured according to the United Nations on this anniversary Ukrainian President Vladimir zielinski reflected on the past year and vowed to stop at nothing to win this war as Moscow sets up its offense some military analysts are saying Russia's stronghold is now in question after weeks of failed attacks in an effort to continue Ukraine's stronghold the United States announced another two billion dollar Aid package including more rounds of ammunition and high-tech drones that continue billions of dollars of support for Ukraine finding mixed reaction and political circles potential 2024 presidential candidate Florida Governor Ron DeSantis weighing into the debate saying the additional funding is purely a blank check policy playing down any threat Moscow poses to Nato member countries in Europe so what might be the biggest hole from this conflict are the millions of ukrainians that fled their war-torn country just over two hundred thousand to the United States and just over 11 000 looking for Safe Haven here in New Jersey senior correspondent Brenda Flanagan reports on the impact of the war on those refugees Russia's opening Gambit targeted Kiev with a missile and artillery barrage that escalated over the past year into a grim and deadly War it's killed at least eight thousand civilians injured thirteen thousand more and displaced millions of traumatized refugees New Jersey's vibrant Ukrainian Community many with family caught in the attack have watched in horror as the conflict grinds on again a little bit emotional when I think about it but that's the reality you know it's it's really difficult Yuri bachenko's got family in Ukraine including his 85 year old dad as appeals for Aid poured in from his beleaguered Homeland boichenko ramped up his jersey-based non-profit called hope for Ukraine so far it's delivered 62 million meals to refugees in and outside of Ukraine 20 tons of food this past January alone his heart breaks because one year into this war he sees lives forever are changed there's a different reality set in with these people they start to understand they will never gonna go back to the places that they used to live they head home and they had jobs they had businesses and now they have enough it's a very hard thing to realize that you just can't go home Courtney Madison's with church World Service which helped Ukrainian refugees gain two-year temporary protected status or TPS and settled into a community connect with Services find schools for their kids and apply for jobs but with the war unlikely to end soon Madison's hoping the White House extends that grace period the uncertainty of how long these people will be here is is really I think the new struggle that we're going to deal with this next year more emotionally for the clients that we're dealing with that also raises questions about employment education you know more medium and long-term goals that people had if I wanted to find a good job um I must speak English very well ludaholovko fled Ukraine and is settled for now in Jersey City where she's studying English at Hudson Community College with a remarkable resilience you often see in kids a loveco's four-year-old daughter Nicole is thriving making friends at a Montessori school we ask you having fun uh-huh I see my friend over there Mom when we go to school I love my school I love my friends and I love teachers halevco received her TPS this summer but her family including her husband are back in Ukraine and that's rough for a four-year-old she misses her dad yeah grandma grandpa meanwhile about 11 400 refugees have requested Safe Harbor in New Jersey through a Biden Administration program called you for you or uniting for Ukraine created last April it's opened the door to more than one hundred and seventeen thousand ukrainians Nationwide who must have sponsors here in the U.S but there's no permanence to TPS or you for you says attorney Eileen king English neither creates any sort of path to permanent residency they are a period of time again they permit people to live and work here but it is not a path to a green card by any means it takes an emotional toll living with such uncertainty and as the war drags on families ripped apart feel connections grow ever more tenuous the war is far from over it's it's so far from over and Ukraine and ukrainians we need help Yana bronze a Paramus resident who spoke to us from Ukraine this week she flew back to visit because she misses her family and he had a lot of family friends that are trapped there and we are not able to speak with them on the phone freely because they're afraid that they could be taped she says President Biden's recent visit to Kiev where he stood in solidarity with President Vladimir zielinski gave people hope it lifted the spirit of ukrainians so much and gave so much hope I am very grateful and and proud she's not sure when she'll come back to the US her dad refuses to leave Ukraine Yuri pachenko's father feels the same way he doesn't want to leave because he said that you know this is where I was born and this is where I'm gonna die butchenko says his next project is sending prefabricated homes to Ukraine housing for folks whose homes were destroyed he says it's a complicated process but he sees it as the first step towards rebuilding and like most ukrainians he's determined to Prevail I'm Brenda Flanagan NJ Spotlight News [Music]