PIKE: One month of Ukrainian fight for freedom

By Editor | April 5, 2022 |

By Andy Webb

Submitted photo
Children huddle in the basement of a home in Chernihiv where they have lived for more than one month. These are Andy Webb’s cousin’s children, great aunt and her family. For half a month they have lived without water, electricity and heating.

It’s been more than a month since war started in Ukraine. Russia’s invasion remains largely frustrated by the dogged resistance and bravery of Ukrainians, with no end in sight for a war that has killed thousands and displaced millions of people. Despite the relentless shelling of a number of Ukrainian cities, Russia is no closer to taking control of the country.
Over 4.1 million refugees have fled Ukraine as of March 31, while an estimated 6.5 million people have been displaced within the country as of March 18. In total, more than 10 million people – approximately one-quarter of the country’s total population – had left their homes in Ukraine as of March 20.

“My family is still relatively safe in the west of the country,” says Andy Webb of Pleasant Hill. “My dad and my brother’s wife joined the territorial defense of the city they’re currently staying in. Mom, my brother and his wife continue to work remotely.”

Webb’s brother, Dima, was drafted into the Armed Forces of Ukraine, but when he went to the military registration and enlistment office, he learned that he was booked by the National Bank of Ukraine as a critical employee of the country’s essential banking system making him temporarily ineligible to be drafted. “As I said in the previous article, he works in the IT department of his bank. His work schedule is 24/7 since the beginning of the war.”

The hardest situation is still along the borders with Russia and Belarus. Cities like Mariupol, Kharkiv, and Chernihiv are being shelled hourly. By the reports in Mariupol alone, at least 5,000 civilians have been killed by Russian attacks.

“My relatives in the city of Chernihiv have been living in the basement for more than a month. These are my cousins with children, my great aunt and her family. For half a month they have lived without water, electricity and heating.” Webb said. “The city where I spent most of my summer breaks as a child is almost gone. About 450-500 civilians have died there since February 24th.”

In the last week, many official sources have reported on the inhumane actions of the Russian army including the rape of women and underage girls, marauding, looting, and mass shootings of unarmed civilians who support their homeland. People who survived World War II, the occupation by Nazi Germany, and concentration camps, say that even the Nazis were not as cruel as the Russians.

“You know what’s the worst? The fact that, after a month of genocide of the Ukrainian people, Putin’s approval rating in Russia has risen to 81%. That is why I do not share the hopes of some people that someday Ukraine and Russia will be able to become friendly countries again. For me, Russia is the enemy forever. Such wounds do not heal.” Andy shares emotionally. “I am surprised that our news does not show what ordinary Russians think of the United States, because in Russian news their biggest enemies are Ukraine and the United States. As a Ukrainian living in the United States, I feel like I won the jackpot.”

There is no news nor any prediction as to when this war will end. “The sad truth is that Putin’s Russia will never leave Ukraine alone, so we can only wait until Putin disappears and Russia disintegrates from within.”

The brave people of Ukraine have inspired many countries as they fight for their homeland. In the conversations of ordinary people, Ukraine, its cities, and President Zelensky have been widely praised for a month.

I wants to thank all the people of Pike County for so many kind words of support both in person and on social media, the Ukrainian flags flying on the streets of Pleasant Hill, and T-shirts with the symbols of Ukraine!

For everyone who would like to and can help Ukraine, you can donate to my friend’s volunteers in Kyiv: https://zgraya-help.com/.

If you would like to help Andy’s relatives specifically, you can donate in person at Trendy’s Take it Cheesy or through PayPal: https://paypal.me/AndriiWebb

■ Andy Webb is a Ukranian native, now living in Pleasant Hill.

Submitted photo
Andy Webb, a Ukranian native, now living in Pleasant Hill, appreciates the support shown to him, his family and country. Mike and Jenny Peebles proudly fly the Ukranian flag in support of the war-torn country.