'Everyone is afraid it may be their last day'

As the invasion of Ukraine intensified this week, a Westmeath teacher spoke of her grave fears for her family and friends, and her pride in the resistance of the people of her homeland to Russian invaders amid the “unprecedented solidarity” they are receiving from around the world.

Tatiana, who is a secondary school teacher in Athlone, is calling on people in Ireland to donate money or supplies to help her fellow Ukrainians back home as they literally fight for survival.

“The situation is very, very serious. A lot of people are shocked and shattered because they never expected anything like this to happen, so people are afraid, they are full of fear, but also they are full of rage and hatred,” Tatiana, who did not wish her full name to be used, said.

“Russia's leader did something nobody ever was able to do, he instilled the nation with absolute hatred towards his country,” she said poignantly with tears in her eyes as the Ukrainian flag flew at half-mast at her school, after her “worst mid-term ever” as she tried to get in touch with loved ones back home.

“My parents are there, my best friend is there, a lot of friends are there. I have been texting (a few times a day) to check if they are okay.” They are based in central Ukraine, an hour and a half from the country's second city Kharkiv, a city where attacks intensified on Monday night/Tuesday.

“They are shelling all over Ukraine, it's not just one direction, it's all over the country. People are hiding in subways, in basements. I was texting one person, she has no basement and she said she was lying in the hallway of her apartment with her daughter and granddaughter and covered with blankets because it's the only thing they can do.”

While she had not managed to speak to her sister at the time we spoke, Tatiana was happy that she got out of Ukraine just in time.

“My sister has managed to flee. She's in Slovakia now, she managed to get there after waiting three days in the car in a queue. With her son, she managed to escape. A couple of hours later it was already too late (to leave).”

Later, after our conversation, Tatiana messaged to say that her sister and son were safe. Slovakian people had provided them with a room in a hotel, a sim-card, food, etc, all for free.

The Athlone teacher said they're deeply touched by the generosity and kindness being shown to them.

Thousands of miles away from her parents, Tatiana, who has been in Ireland since 2006, said she feels powerless as they play down the situation in a bid to shield her, but talking to friends she knows how serious it really is.

“Well, my mum is trying to sound like 'oh it's okay'. I know she doesn't want me to be worried too much. When I ring my friend she says there are sirens, we're terrified and they had to hide a couple of times. But when I speak to my Mum she says everything is fine, but she is not telling me the truth.

“You are powerless. You can't help at all. I would like to pick them out of there, out of that mess, and bring them here for a while. It's impossible, there is no transport – no buses or trains – and it's very dangerous to drive. It's impossible now because they have a curfew. “They are scared, everybody is scared. Everyone is afraid that it may be their last day they see each other or speak to each other.”

While Tatiana says it's just “incomprehensible” that we're in this situation in the 21st century, everything was leading to it, everything was pointing to the problem getting bigger and bigger.

“This is a huge injustice being done to Ukraine. I'm very proud of Ireland because it was one of the first countries who supported Ukraine because Irish people know exactly what it is to want independence. Now, look at the world, we're experiencing and witnessing an unprecedented case of solidarity.

“This planet has never witnessed anything like it. That's because I think, people can see it's so unfair and they don't like it. The second thing is, people are afraid that if they don't stop it in Ukraine, he'll (Putin) go further.”

She spoke eloquently of her huge pride in the resistance of Ukrainians to their invaders, something that her friends of all nationalities have been so impressed with since the conflict began.

“They don't give up means they are right what they are fighting for, they are fighting for their land, they are fighting for their ability to choose what to do, where to go, where to belong. They are fighting for their identity. “They are fighting against Moscow's lies. They are fighting for Europe because they are part of Europe mentally, historically, geographically. They are part of Europe and they don't want it to be said they belong to Russia because they are not.”

With the pandemic, Tatiana only managed to visit parents at the end of August for a few days, and had planned to go again in Easter. Now she is full of worry for them as the fighting worsens.

“I'm worried about them because they wouldn't tell me everything they feel. They don't want to worry me. The amount of destruction I can see now is impossible to comprehend, so many people killed, so many buildings destroyed and infrastructure.”

“The second city Kharkiv is very badly affected. It's an hour and a half away (from my parents). A friend of mine told me that she was speaking to her Mum who was living in the east and her mother wanted to show her the destruction and she went out with her mobile phone and there was very loud shelling and the phone went out of her hand. She ran quickly back into her house and my friend told me her mum has been spending most of her days in the bathroom where there are no windows,” she explained.

Extremely skeptical of the peace talks, Tatiana asked how they can happen when the country is being shelled at the same time and wondered if it is because of the “absolutely gigantic support” for Ukraine from the EU and countries around the world.

“With this war, the masks are off, and all the lies, deceit and arrogance that Moscow spread for years was revealed to people,” she stated.

With a strong Ukrainian community in Dublin, Tatiana is in touch with them and they are doing what they can from here to organise aid, collect supplies and send parcels to help families affected by the conflict, even prior to the invasion.

“ I would like to appeal to all people of goodwill who care about democracy for whom peace in Europe, and in the world is important, and for whom the future of Europe is important to support Ukraine in every way morally and financially. I think if we stand together we can win the war. We can only win if we are together because the enemy is too big and too aggressive and very strong,” she remarked, encouraging anyone who can support them to donate to a fund set up by the Embassy of Ukraine (AIB bank) National Sort Code: 931012. IBAN: IE24AIBK93101203385384.

“I'm hoping and praying this will finish as soon as possible. I don't want to see any more victims because behind each killed person, there is a separate world, a family, mother, fathers, brothers. I want to see Ukraine independent, democratic, in the EU and in NATO.

“This situation shows how important it is to be together, to show solidarity, help each other, and most importantly not to let the negative narrative be spread about people (by the Russians).”

She encouraged people to look into the history of Ukraine and beyond Russian propaganda, and she hopes to put on an exhibition in the near future in Athlone to tell the story of her home country. Previously held in Ballymahon, the successful exhibition shows in stages Ukraine's history from 1917 following the Russian Revolution up to the collapse of the USSR and why they wanted an independent state.