First of all, I moved from Italy to Ukraine two months ago as soon as I heard the news of a probable Russian invasion. I abandoned everything I had in Italy to be with my homeland and my people.
On 23 February, I left my city of Odesa to go to the enlistment office. I wanted to join the territorial defense and therefore had to meet several requirements to get the military ticket.
In the morning, I woke up to the news that the war had begun. It was horrible. It seemed like a bad nightmare from which I still can’t wake up. I did not join the territorial defense in the end because I don’t even know how to hold a rifle in hand. If I had military preparation and minimum skills with the rifle, I would be in the city protecting my land, but in my condition I could only cause problems for the Ukrainian army.
I would very much like to say that the village in which I am now is safe and that there is nothing that threatens our serenity, but this is not the case. We are on the border with Transnistria (about 7 kilometers away) which, as you most likely know, hosts a Russian military base. Last night, some individuals tried to violate the Ukrainian border but were stopped. We expect that they will send Russian tanks in this direction, but we have a plan to block the road in case they arrive. This will be enough to slow them down and warn our military.
I am 21 years old and I am living a nightmare that I never expected to live. I am young and now on a Saturday night I should be at the disco with my peers having fun. It is absurd – a war in the heart of Europe in 2022. We have proof that we did not learn anything from history.
What am I doing now? I am trying to inform my Italian followers on instagram, share the real news with them, and explain the ways they can help us. My university colleagues are collecting basic necessities to send to Ukraine, and others are sending money to Ukrainian funds.
I want the whole Western world to realize that the Ukrainian army is fighting against an army that is one of the strongest in the world. We are showing that we are strong and united and I think we deserve a place in NATO and the European Union.
Russia is hitting civilians. Today they hit an ambulance carrying an injured person… These are the crimes against the Ukrainian people that no one here will forget! No child in the world should ever have to be afraid of falling asleep at night. There is no peace. I am worried about my friends and family sleeping in shelters. You cannot imagine what it means to receive the message “if something happens, I want you to know that I love you.”
Every night seems like the last. We don’t know what to expect from that killer Putin. But in the morning, we wake up, see the clear sky and we feel like crying and we are infinitely grateful to our army. It is scary when your loved one sends you audio with sirens and cries.
My life has changed forever. I am trying to do everything that is in my power to do: I help the army financially, I try to inform the Italians and share the true facts with them and I ask them to mobilize and participate in the protests. Shelter our sky and cut Russia out of SWIFT! Implement more sanctions, specifically against Putin.
If you study Ukrainian history, in all these centuries, we have never attacked anyone, we are a peaceful nation but if needed we will give our lives to defend our borders. We remember well the genocide of Ukrainians in the years 1932-1933. Russia killed millions of Ukrainians. We remember well how Russia eliminated our intellectual elite who defended the Ukrainian language during the Soviet regime. We remember the 1960s when Russia eliminated our authors and painters who wanted independence from the Soviet regime. We remember how Russian snipers eliminated our brothers in Maidan in Kyiv during the protests in 2014. We remember the annexed territories and thousands of our men killed. And we will never forget February 24 and the days that have followed.
I want to thank all the people who are close to us at this moment. We hear you and see you. Make yourself heard – you are our voice! You can help us by donating money for the army or other organizations. Contact the Ukrainian embassies or the local Ukrainian community and ask how you can ship basic necessities here. Unity is strength, together we will put an end to Putin’s regime of terror. Slava Ukraini!