Saskatoon Ukrainians expect Russian invasion within days

The ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia continues to escalate, making the thought of invasion more believable every day.

Ukrainian business owner and chaplain, Vitaliy Kushnir, has lived in Canada since 2007.

After making the move, he really started to recognize the difference in media and how Russian media outlets affected residents’ point of view.

Kushnir had the opportunity to visit Ukraine in 2019 and see the turmoil and destruction up close.

He shared footage he had taken from his visit to what was the village of Shyrokyne, Ukraine, and the remains of an elementary school.

In one of his videos he said, “I want to tell you Canadians, you sleep on your soft, warm beds, but in Ukraine, this is a Russian invasion.”

Vitaliy’s family and friends remain in the country, and according to him, many are used to living with the sounds of war.

During a visit to see some friends in Maripoul, Ukraine he experienced a bombing and was told to go back to sleep.

“Russian separatists bombed them and (the) windows shook. I wake up in the middle of the night like, ‘What’s going on?’ (They replied) ‘Sleep, don’t worry’.”

Another Saskatoon resident and media representative with the Ukrainian Canadian Congress Saskatchewan, George Hupka, said after talking to people in the country, mainly in the Ukraine capital of Kyiv, many are not living in fear.

“There is no panic in Ukraine, because they have been at war for eight years,” said Hupka.

Two regions in eastern Ukraine were hit by more than 1,400 explosions on Friday.

A day later, Ukraine received a plane load of machine guns, surveillance gear and rifles as part of a Canadian Military assistance package.

“As long as Vladimir Putin is president and dictator of Russia, this was bound to happen at some point,” said Hupka.

As of Sunday evening, Russian troops remain on Ukrainian borders.

There is a GoFundMe hosted by the Canada-Ukraine Foundation meant to raise money in advance of the invasion to help provide for those who get displaced.

Related News