Voice of Ukraine

From Ira Kapitonova in Kyiv (Day 344):

Through you we push down our foes;
through your name we tread down those who rise up against us.
For not in my bow do I trust,
nor can my sword save me.
But you have saved us from our foes and have put to shame those who hate us.
In God we have boasted continually,
and we will give thanks to your name forever.
Psalm 44:5‭-‬8

Joy
16 children kidnapped by Russia in the Kherson region returned to Ukraine. The youngest is only 8 years old.

Exasperation
The International Olympic Committee and a bunch of officials support the participation of Russian athletes in the Olympics under a neutral flag. Do they know that many Russian athletes are military officers? Do they know how many Ukrainian athletes died from the Russian aggression? It must be clear that those who do not speak against the war waged by Russia support it. It is one way or the other. No magic neutral. If you see someone being raped in the street, you call the police, yell for help, and do something; otherwise, you are enabling the rapist. But some people still believe in “being neutral,” and I pray that they won’t have to bear the consequences of their “neutrality.”

Gratitude
The support we’ve received from Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia always moves me to tears. Their boldness and willingness to stand with Ukraine are inspiring. Latvia would not participate in the Olympics if there were Russian athletes. Poland keeps persuading our allies to send military airplanes to Ukraine. Lithuania encourages the western governments to provide Ukraine with all necessary weapons. Estonia has sent all its 155 mm howitzers in military aid to Ukraine. These countries are examples of standing up for what you believe in, no matter the cost.

Outrage
The occupational forces are demolishing a building in Mariupol where 200 people were killed. It was one of the largest gravesites in Mariupol, and it was destroyed to get rid of the evidence as if demolishing could erase the horrors from the memory of those who witnessed it.

Delight
Volunteers rescued a cat that spent two weeks in the ruins of the destroyed apartment building in Dnipro. In another city, Chasiv Yar (Donetsk region), volunteers rescued a dog from under the rubble of a building destroyed a few days ago. If we still care for animals, we are still capable of love.

Horror
Kramatorsk was shelled again (after last night’s attack). More residential buildings were destroyed, and more people were killed and injured.

Anxiety
Russia is preparing yet another massive missile attack. There have been shipments of drones and signs of activity in the Black Sea.

Hope
The children of Ukraine will be the generation that remembers the importance of acting upon your convictions. A masking net station is casually set up in a school hallway, with kids freely working on it during the breaks and after-school activities. Kids praying mature prayers of protection for their friends and loved ones. May the Lord bless these children to be the generation He wants to see.

These are just a few of the emotions I went through today. An ordinary day, the 344th day of the full-scale stage of the 9-year-long war that takes its roots hundreds of years ago.