A file image of Russia-Ukraine war (Photo: 'X')
Guwahati, March 6: Following the Russian invasion, Ukrainian families are being separated as men were ordered to stay behind and fight the Russians. Many families have also stayed back to defend their country from the Russians.
"My family has stayed back and they are putting up in the basements in Western Ukraine's Ternopil to survive the war," says a Ukrainian citizen Chrystyna Prystay in an exclusive interview with The Assam Tribune.
Thousands of kilometres away from her native place Ukraine, Prystay who is currently residing is Assam, says, "I am in contact with my family and friends, they are in Western Ukraine's Ternopil and some of my acquaintances are in Eastern Ukraine and they have to face heavy shelling and air raids. They are taking shelter in the basements of their apartments. Although we proposed to them to evacuate at the earliest they rejected."
Sharing her views on the recent war, she said that the situation has escalated now, but the war with Russia started eight years before in the Donbas region of Ukraine.
Donbas is known as the epicentre of the war. In March 2014, immediately following the Euromaidan protest movement and protests by pro-Russian, anti-government, separatist groups took place in the Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts of Ukraine, collectively called the Donbas. This also led to an armed conflict with the Ukrainian government forces. These demonstrations began around the same time as Russia's annexation of Crimea.
Prystay who shifted to India some three years ago after she got married said that it was a happy life in Ukraine, however, things took a turn over the past few years.
"Ukrainians and Russians share similar cultures and relation but Russia ruined all the relations. Ukraine never resorted to any form of discrimination against the Russians. It's a free country, people from different cultures, languages and religions are residing here peacefully. It's Russian propaganda that Ukrainians are a neo-Nazi government," Prystay added.
While blaming the Russian govt Prystay alleged that although a lot of countries have supported the Ukrainians but there was silence before things took an ugly turn.
She asserted that several people including children were arrested in Russia for protesting against the war. She further claimed that Putin wants his people to remain separated from the entire world.
On being asked about the consequences of the war Prystay was hopeful that people of Ukraine will not let it go, "People of Ukraine never want to go back to the days of Soviet Union, never again. Maybe the Russian govt wants this but the Russian people will never want it."
The war between Russia and Ukraine has entered day 11. Although a ceasefire was agreed upon by both countries to evacuate civilians from Mariupol and Volnovakha, it quickly fell apart as Ukrainian officials claimed that shelling had halted the evacuation. Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow would consider any third-party declaration of a no-fly zone over Ukraine as "participation in the armed conflict by that country." On the other hand, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urged the US and other allies to provide military assistance, including warplanes.
Sharing her thoughts on the escalation of the war, Prystay said, "If Russia stops the fight there will be no war, but if Ukraine stops there will be no Ukraine. I hope for a beautiful and free Ukraine in the future."