For the past two weeks, we have been bombarded by sad and scary images of the brutal and brazen invasion of Ukraine by Russia. For most of us, this is an abstract and far away event, but for those who have close and intimate ties to embattled Ukraine, it is not an abstraction but a grim and scary reality.
My late wife had an acquaintance from Ukraine, Dr. Lyudmila Sonchak, who is a Ukrainian-American. She teaches economics at nearby Susquehanna University. Her husband, Brian Ardan, is a reference librarian at Lock Haven University. I thought having her perspective on these events would help give our readers a more human and intimate perspective on these tragic events. What follows is Lyudmila’s thoughts on it. They appear in their totality.
“It is still hard to comprehend the magnitude and gravity of the events happening in Ukraine. I never thought that something like this could happen in the 21st century. Until the very last moment, I did not believe the invasion of Ukraine would take place despite media attention in weeks prior to the attack. I thought Putin would never do it; the world would never allow for this to happen; things like this just don’t happen in modern times. Unfortunately, I was wrong. I remember my grandmother telling me stories about her experience during the Second World War. Little did I know that the war was going to come again to our homes. And this time from our nearest neighbor.
“I get up every morning in fear and anger. In fact, I’m in a constant state of fear and anger throughout the day. I frantically check the news, alternating between American and Ukrainian networks, read all the posts on Facebook, searching for updates about the situation in Ukraine. Throughout the day, I call multiple times to my family and friends to make sure that they are OK. My immediate family, including my father, is in the Western part of Ukraine, near the city of Ivano-Frankivsk. Since my father is under the age of 60, he cannot leave the country due to a mobilization order for all men. So far, things have been relatively quiet in the Western part of Ukraine. Russian invaders managed to destroy a couple of airports near my hometown using missiles. Sirens are going off periodically, but there is no on-the-ground fighting just yet. When I talk to my friends on the phone, there is a lot of fear in their voices. Some are crying inconsolably because they have never experienced anything like this before. My family friend told me today that she has never been so scared in her entire life. Both of us were worried that we may not see each other again. My dad is staying in good spirits for now.
“Unfortunately, things are very bad in Kyiv and the East of Ukraine. Russian invaders are bombing residential areas hitting apartment complexes, hospitals, kindergartens, killing innocent civilians, including women and children. Explosions are of going off in multiple big cities. On the ground, fighting is also ongoing, with civilians taking an active part in helping the Ukrainian army stop the invaders. People are hiding in basements underneath their apartment buildings. In Kyiv and Kharkiv, many had to spend several days in underground subway stations seeking shelter from missiles and explosions. Some of the hospitals had to move their patients underground, including pregnant women giving or about to give birth. Many newborns now are being sheltered in these hospital basements.
“Many of the people from the Eastern part of Ukraine have been fleeing to the West. The trains, buses, and caravans of cars are moving west where things are still relatively quiet. It took people days to get from Kyiv to the Western part because of all the congestion on the road with everyone trying to leave the capital. Many women with children are trying to cross Romanian and Polish borders in an attempt to escape the country. Many choose to stay in refugee shelters in the Western part of Ukraine for now.
“In the face of adversity, Ukrainian citizens remain determined to stand up to the enemy. Ukrainians will never give up their homeland and will be fighting till the last breath. We have an immense sense of patriotism and are ready to die for our country. The world had already witnessed Ukrainian courage during the protests of 2013-2014 in Maidan, where people protested for their freedoms and rights. More than 100 people died in those protests, but Ukrainians did not give up and uprooted the regime of pro-Russian puppet Yanukovich. Ukrainians will not give up now! We are outnumbered by the Russian army, but we are protecting our land, and we are ready to die for it. We are grateful to the USA and EU for their assistance with ammunition and humanitarian aid, but we need more help.
“It is hard for me to comprehend how the entire world is watching how Ukraine is being obliterated by a mad man Putin. While economic sanctions will cripple the Russian economy, Putin is beyond the point of return. His failures to advance in Ukraine will only make the attacks more and more aggressive. Now there is some evidence of Belarus preparing to enter Ukraine and join Russia in its attempts to invade (some outlets indicate that this has already happened). Everyone is watching and sending their prayers and condolences; in the meanwhile, civilians are dying for no reason. It’s as if your neighbor is being robbed and killed in front of your eyes, and you just stand there and watch. I know it may not be that simple. But cheap Russian gas and oil are not worth the blood of innocent children. The world needs to intervene and help us because we are not only fighting for our lives and our country, but we are also fighting for what’s right and fair, we are fighting against lies and oppression, we are fighting for democracy. The world needs to help us stop Putin before it is too late.”
