My name is Aliona. I’m 40 years old, and in the last 6 days, I’ve become homeless and jobless.
It all started at 4:32 am on February 24 when my family was woken up by a series of loud and powerful explosions. We felt as if the world was ending. Later we found out that the Russians bombed the Kulbakino Military Airport nearby, as well as many other military objects that morning.
The next day, we didn’t really understand what we were supposed to do. I even thought of going to work or holding classes online. To feel normal, people wanted to keep doing normal things. My 8-year-old son’s primary school teacher even held a couple of online classes. But there was no more normal for any of us in Ukraine.
The next 24 hours were quiet and we almost relaxed. But suddenly I got a call from my husband that I had to leave the house immediately, as there was a car waiting to take us out of Mykolayiv. That day, real war came there, with bombs and shooting. My son and I are now in Kropyvnytskyi, where it has been relatively safe for the past few days. But today air raids started here too. We go down to the shelter when that happens and sit in cold and fear.
You should ask your governments to declare Putin an international terrorist because bombing civilians is against all laws of war. He should be caught and prosecuted as a criminal. Ukrainian airspace should be closed. The sanctions against Russians must be deadly.
What sticks out in my mind are the moments when the Ukrainian Army managed to defeat the bloody fuckfaces in Mykolayiv, Kherson, Kropyvnytskyi, and other places. Also, how we manage to find strength in laughter. There are dozens of really funny stories and memes happening every day, like people stealing a Russian tank.
Another thing you could ask your governments is to send military supplies here because everything is running out – tanks, planes, radios, bullet-proof vests, etc. There will be crises around food and medicine soon. The cities under siege have no food supplies. The hospitals are full of the wounded and they are unable to treat civilians.