Ukrainian former Beaumont exchange student talks about war's effects

"We turned on the news and watched short videos that citizens of Kyiv shared on Facebook and Instagram," Iryna told The Enterprise. "We felt frightened. We felt the war was real."

Friday marks on year since Russia invaded Ukraine. Since then, there have been at least 18,950 civilian casualties in the country, according to the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights' Feb. 13 casualty update. Most of the civilian casualties recorded stemmed from the use of explosive weapons with wide-area affects, including shelling from heavy artillery, multiple launch rocket systems, missiles and air strikes, the office said.

Iryna, 36, lives in Ternopil, in western Ukraine. But she attended Beaumont's West Brook High School in 2003 and 2004 as an exchange student. She and her husband Yuriy, 45, have two sons, Roman, 12, and Yuriy, Jr., 11. The Enterprise spoke with Iryna via email and Facebook messenger as electricity cutoffs in her region are common.

"While before the invasion, there was a lot of information from the (United States) about a possible war, the Ukrainian government was sure that Russia wouldn't dare to start the assault," Iryna said. "Ukrainians, especially those who live on today's front line, were convinced that the civilized world overreacted and there was no threat from Russians. People in the east are mostly bilingual (speaking both Ukrainian and Russian), and it was a common thing to hear them speaking Russian and not Ukrainian and they felt warmly about eastern neighbors."

Always prepared, Iryna said she had an emergency bag ready, having gathered all important documents, extra clothes and even an extra can of gasoline for the family's car. 

"Our family made the decision to cross the border (into Poland)," she said. Yuriy accompanied his wife and children to the border, though he would not be able to cross with them as most Ukrainian men aged 18 to 60 are prevented from travelling abroad during the conflict.

"We never reached the border," Iryna said. "The line to cross was so long and slow that it took us almost three days to edge a couple of kilometers. Besides the cars, there was a constant line of those who walked to the border with children and pets, day and night. In three days, we gave up and returned home."

So, the Hnatenkos remained in Ternopil for a little longer. On March 1, 2022, Iryna and her two sons crossed the Polish border by bus, leaving Yuriy behind in Ukraine for five months.

"Stressed by the news and war events, I started to (experience) some health issues and we returned home in August 2022," Iryna said. 

While at home, Yuriy helped gather materials for self-made Molotov cocktails, camouflage nets and other gear, aiding in the volunteer effort.

"At the very beginning of the invasion, every Ukrainian wanted to help (the cause)," Iryna said. "We have to admit that there were so many volunteers that not every person who was willing to volunteer could get work to do so."

As refugees from eastern Ukraine began to make their way west, Yuriy helped organize places for them to stay in Ternopil.

"Later there was a necessity in translating different field manuals and different procurement documentation," Iryna said. "As (Yuriy) is an English as a second language teacher, he has (a lot of) knowledge and understanding of military English. He made this kind of work his prime contribution to volunteering."

Since returning to work last summer, Iryna said Yuriy has donated part of his salary to the Ukrainian army, continuing to aide in the volunteer effort.

"During the summer, almost every child in my city took part in self-made fundraising to collect the money for the army's needs," she said. "My children and their friends were selling different things (such as) toys, books, homemade cupcakes, etc. Every class in the school that my children attend made a fundraiser where they sold different desserts and gathered enough money to buy a pick-up car for the army needs."

While the Hnatenko family has remained away from the front lines of war in eastern Ukraine, the impact of the conflict is felt throughout the country.

"The war definitely brought a lot of changes," Iryna said. "Price increases affected the middle and lower classes tremendously, as the household income decreased. For example, the cost of veal rose from ₴150 (hryvnias, Ukrainian currency) to ₴250 (per) kilogram. The very-loved-by-Ukrainians buckwheat porridge costs ₴89 (per) kilogram instead of (the) ₴39 (it cost) before the war. The range of products (also) narrowed as sellers refused to sell goods from Russian companies -- a lot of Ukrainians refused to buy made-in-Russia things."

One of the biggest challenges the country is facing is infrastructure damage, particularly in areas where Russians have been conducting missile attacks, Iryna said.

"Russia has been conducting massive missile attacks on civil infrastructure since October 2022, especially power production and distribution facilities, oil refineries, etc.," she said. "Since then, Ukrainians have suffered from the lack of electricity. Until recently, electricity was on for three hours following a six-hour cut off. Blackouts were accompanied by the absence of the internet, which has been causing a lot of troubles for those who work online."

Ternopil is one of the areas most affected by the blackouts, Iryna said.

"But these circumstances didn't scare us, and there was even a Tik-Tok trend where people made videos (saying), 'Better to be without electricity and without Russians instead of the opposite,'" she said. "This situation made entrepreneurs buy generators. So, business did not stop and the economy kept running. The reality of today's life is that every child knows what Starlink is and every teenager knows how to turn on the generator."

But the biggest cost of the war has been the human one. According to the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights' Feb. 13 casualty update, at least 7,100 Ukrainian civilians have been killed in the conflict.

"My husband and I have friends that are currently at the front line fighting and, sadly, we also know those who have been killed in the war," Iryna said. "As I worked at the city court, I am familiar with a lot of police officers that are part of the Ukrainian army. I feel very heartbroken when I see the announcements (from) our mayor about the deaths of such decent and fearless people."

The Hnatenko's distant relative, Tetyana, 72, has a sister, 75, who lives in Lysychansk, Luhansk Oblast -- the eastern most oblast of Ukraine.

"The last time they had a phone conversation was in the first days of March," Iryna said. "Affected by Russian propaganda, Tetyana's sister had been waiting for Russian troops and refused to come to Ternopil. However, nowadays (Lysychansk), has been severely damaged and is still under occupation."

Regardless of what Russia's aims may have been before the invasion, Iryna said they believe now that defeat will mean the end of Russia's "imperial ambitions" and may even lead to the collapse of Russia as a state.

"Therefore, they will throw everything they have into battle, draft thousands after thousands of brain-washed conscripts and, should Ukraine fall, it will mean death and unspeakable suffering to millions of Ukrainians," she said. "The world has seen Bucha, Izium and many other places where this has already happened."

Iryna encourages those outside of eastern Europe, particularly in America, to not think of the war as just a local conflict "happening half a world away."

"We must win," she said. "This is not just the matter of our survival. This victory is going to be the basis (of) security and thus prosperity of European democratic countries and the United States. The sheer magnitude and ferocity of fighting makes it the biggest war since 1945. Back then, America decided to intervene and it became the cornerstone of (Adolf) Hitler's demise. Now is also the time to stand up against evil."

Ukraine's defeat could set a precedent for other world leaders to follow Russian President Vladimir Putin's footsteps, Iryna said.

"The development of the entire western civilization will follow the path on which brutal force and aggression will be dominating, not diplomacy and cooperation," she said. "Future politicians, inspired by Russia's example, will consider it normal to break all human rights and invoke violence to achieve their goals. Mark my words, this will be the biggest strike on democracy ever, simply because if Russia wins, we will have a nuclear armed terrorist state as the world power. Is this the future we are dreaming about?"

Iryna's feelings toward Russia are palpable, not just in what she says, but also how she says it. Throughout the conversation, she chose not to capitalize "Russia," not out of ignorance, she said.

"Partly it's due to disgust and partly due to hatred, which is common among Ukrainians towards that place," she said.

The most effective way for people to support Ukraine now is to maintain pressure on political leaders to continue to support Ukraine militarily and diplomatically, Iryna said.

"Be kind and wise," she said. "Do not allow propaganda to persuade you that the aggressor has reasons and therefore rights to kill."

Above all, Iryna wholeheartedly believes Ukraine will prevail.

"I dare say that Ukrainians belive in victory more than they believe in anything else," she said.

As a parent, Iryna said she hopes for the best for her children and family, leading her to consider leaving her home country temporarily or even permanently.

"As a mother, I fear witnessing the possible restart of the Russian-Ukrainian war again sometime in the future if Russia doesn't cease to exist in its current shape," she said.

The aftermath of the war will not be easy for Ukraine, regardless of the outcome, Iryna said.

"The war will leave no one unscathed," she said. "Therefore, my country will have to struggle through a period of economic and political turmoil, which, I am again sure, will eventually pass. Coming to terms with losses of loved ones with shattered hopes and dreams on the other hand, will last much longer."

olivia.malick@hearst.com

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