Voice of Ukraine

From Maia Mikhaluk in Kyiv (558th day): I know books are being written even now about this war, and many more will be written in the future. People will read to understand. But sometimes, it’s enough to read a sentence or few lines to feel what this war brought into the lives of Ukrainians.

The siren of the air raid makes streets shrink, but Kyiv citizens are trying to ignore them as if they were annoying flies. Mother calmly smiles at a baby in a stroller; her movements are careful and smooth, and the only thing that gives her away is a pulsating vein in her temple.
An older child next to her is asking:

• What is happening, Mom?
• Ruzzian military plane just took off.
• Will the plane shoot the missiles?
• I don’t know…
• I am brave.
• I know…
• I am not afraid anymore.
• I know… (5 year old)

…I used to have work, a house, a wife, life. Now, I only have one bag left. One bag of useless things… (86 years old)

I can’t forgive. I can’t forget. Children with IVs in the basement… We ran out of medications… We couldn’t help those kids. Then we were evacuating them under fire. I will not forget… (32 years old)

We were told ruzzians were retreating and we should hide. They are destroying everything in their path. I had a bedridden grandma. We couldn’t go anywhere. I heard a noise. I looked in the window. There was a tank near our house and it was turning its muzzle to our home. I couldn’t speak or cry. Everything froze. (31 years old)

I will not leave Ukraine while the war is going. It doesn’t matter that I am a girl, it doesn’t make me weak. I will do what I can to help. It’s not right to leave now. I will not go. (20 year old)

• Land mines have been removed from this part of the forest, but we can’t go to the lake. There are still landmines.
• Do children understand why they can’t go to the lake?
• Yes, they know.