ZAGREB, 17 April 2022 - Ukrainian Ambassador to Croatia Vasyl Kyrylych and Lika-Senj County head Ernest Petry met in Gospić on Sunday with representatives of the services providing for refugees from Ukraine, thanking everyone, and participated in an Easter lunch with Ukrainian families at Hotel Ana.

The level of reception of Ukrainians in Lika (region) is high in every respect and refugee children go to school there, the ambassador said. It is not just nice words and gestures, but the friendly and family reception of refugees from Ukraine due to the Russian aggression, he added.

"The strongest word I bring you is thanks. I can confirm that Ukrainians in Croatia, in Osijek, in Lika and elsewhere, have been welcomed warmly, which makes us happy because in this sad moment of cries it means a lot to receive such a hand of support as the refugees are receiving from Croatia," the ambassador said.

There are more than 600 Ukrainian refugees in Lika-Senj County and nearly 700 have passed through the reception centre in Gospić. Some of them have been accommodated in Karlovac County.

Forty-nine refugees have been accommodated in Gospić's Hotel Ana and another 97 elsewhere in the town.

Prefect Petry said the county was prepared to take in more refugees, "depending on the need of the Ukrainian population." To date, he added, 15 Ukrainians have found employment.

Andrii Melnychenko, the father of a family with four children, said they felt at home in Gospić because Croatians "have welcomed us beautifully, with a big heart."

He said their 11-month-old daughter had to be taken to Zagreb for an emergency operation and was now doing fine. "I am forever grateful that we received this help, for free even and of great quality."

On his and the behalf of all Ukrainian refugees in Gospić, whether Orthodox or Greek Catholic, he said they all prayed to the same God for peace, peace and family happiness.

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ZAGREB, 27 March 2022 - A peaceful rally of support for Ukraine was held on Sunday in the eastern city of Osijek, and addressing it, Ukrainian Ambassador Vasyl Kyrylych said that genocide was underway against Ukrainians, but that in spite of that, Ukraine would defend itself.

Speaking at the rally in Osijek's central square, Kyrylych said that the rally was organised to "once again support Ukraine in the brutal war launched by the Russian Federation."

"What is happening in Ukraine is not only war, genocide is being committed against its people", he said, noting that city neighbourhoods, schools, hospitals and kindergartens were being destroyed and that so far 138 children had been killed in Ukraine.

"In this brutal war, there is on one side a cult of brute force, a cult of the dictator and tyrant and on the other truth and defence of one's country. We are on our own land and we are defending it", the ambassador said, thanking the Croatian government, Osijek-Baranja County and the City of Osijek for their strong support to Ukraine and for having taken in Ukrainian refugees. 

The president of the Association of Ukrainians in Croatia, Vlado Karešin, too, thanked Croatia for its support to Ukraine.

The rally was also attended by Osijek city officials and MPs Romana Nikolić and Domagoj Hajduković.

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ZAGREB, 10 Oct, 2021 - A service was held in the Greek Catholic Cathedral in Križevci on Sunday on the occasion of the 120th anniversary of the arrival of Ukrainian Greek Catholics in Croatia.

Among those attending were representatives of Croatia and Ukraine, Ukrainian Ambassador to Croatia Vasyl Kyrylych, local officials, and priests and pilgrims of Ukrainian Greek Catholic parishes in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

"The life and work of Ukrainian Greek Catholics in our area has made a hugely positive and progressive contribution to present-day Croatian society," Križevci Bishop Milan Stipić said.

The first Ukrainians moved to Croatia from western Ukraine at the beginning of the 20th century, when Ukraine, like Croatia, was part of Austria-Hungary. All were Greek Catholics and joined the Križevci Eparchy.

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