From the battles in Ukraine’s east to the cities in its west, nobody is safe from the missiles of Russia, the terror of death, and the weight of uncertainty. This war, started by Putin’s invasion, has raged on for over two years. Yet, as Americans, we rarely hear anything beyond “aid packages,” “Zelenskyy visits,” or, sadly, “bills stuck in Congress.” 

IMSA students might never feel the ground rocking beneath their feet, but that doesn’t mean we are far removed from this conflict. Stories of pain, empathy, and hope are all around us. Stories that make us realize, the war is affecting ordinary people like us, our friends, and our teachers. My recent interview with Kate Honchar (26’) and Ms. Anastasia Perry takes us deeper into the issue, especially what’s happening on the ground, hidden in the smoke.

“My friends and the kids in Ukraine can recognize the missiles by their sounds.”  — Ms. Perry

Experiences from the war come in different scopes, and the most emotional and impactful is by far a personal one. For Ms. Perry, that means staying in touch with her friends and family in Ukraine. Most of her family lives in Kyiv, which despite being located at the edges of the conflict, has greatly experienced the war’s effects from frequent missile strikes. Early in the war, many of her friends had moved to nearby countries. But being a refugee in places like Poland is a burden both economically, as it meant losing your previous job, and emotionally, because even though you left, your family and elderly are often unable to accompany you. So as the war dragged on, more and more of Ms. Perry’s family and friends returned to Ukraine. There is a choice between running away to safety and facing hardships with those you love.

Kyiv in ruins after rounds of Russian missiles (AP News) 

And it was a difficult choice. Ms. Perry’s nephews and nieces recently saw a missile explode a few blocks away from them, destroying a street that they used to know. Living below a hazardous sky that screams of destruction, death becomes a tangible concept. Many of Ms. Perry’s friends have lost loved ones. Husbands of her friends have enlisted in the army.

And for Ms. Perry, uncertainty overshadows fear. After she wakes up, she immediately checks the news for attacks on her hometown. She worries about a friend who used to teach at a university, fled to Poland, returned to Ukraine, and lost everything. She hasn’t heard from her. It’s a different type of burden—helplessness, restlessness in silence, living day-to-day hoping for good news—and it weighs just as heavy.

For Kate, her family had been lucky and unlucky in the war. Unluckily, their hometown, Kakhovka, is very close to Crimea and one of the first towns captured. Luckily, Russian troops advanced without sparking wide bloodshed, leaving the town more or less in one piece. Most of her extended family has evacuated to other countries, away from the frontlines, and her friends have also found refuge elsewhere. But she still hopes that her hometown stays recognizable when she revisits it after the war ends. 

Russia destroys the Kakhovka dam, leading to severe flooding in nearby cities (Wilson Center)

While global media has concentrated on the refugee issue in Europe, Kate says that for families stuck in places like Kakhovka, even being a refugee is almost impossible. Russian troops have blockaded all the main roads, and bombing has destroyed infrastructure. To escape into Western Europe from Kakhovka, she would need to venture into Crimea (which is controlled by Russia since 2014), deep into Russia, and circle back up north. Her hometown is wilting under Russian control. Weeds now spring from the beautiful beach sidewalks, roads are deserted and silent, and Russia even destroyed the Kakhovka dam, leading to significant environmental damage on the Dnipro River and flooding numerous farms. It’s important to make the world realize the difficulties of living under Russian control, she says, where cruelty is recurrent and escape is not an option. 

“In Ukraine, everyone has somebody they’ve lost… You don’t feel the war unless you feel your own house shaking.” — Ms. Perry

Perhaps nobody at IMSA understands that feeling of war deeper than Ms. Perry.

In October 2022, her eldest sister died after struggling with diabetes for years. Although it wasn’t from a bullet or a missile, it was a direct effect of the war. Her sister had serious health complications even before the war. She didn’t want to receive treatment from hospitals because they were busy attending to the wounded with the limited staffing they had. Her personal doctor was an experienced surgeon, but he volunteered to fight on the front lines. War is more than the tragedies on the battlefield. War is anger and despair, watching the lives of innocent civilians and loved ones slip away.

It’s important to remember that war isn’t far removed from IMSA. It’s also important to know the history between Ukraine and Russia and why this war shouldn’t even have occurred in the first place. Both Ms. Perry and Kate brought up the Budapest Memorandum. Signed in 1994, Ukraine agreed to give up its nuclear arsenal, one of the largest in the world, in return for political independence and protection as a non-nuclear-weapon state. The other parties in this treaty? The UK, Russia, and the US. Russia invading Ukraine clearly violates it, but the lack of action from the UK and the US is far from their promises from three decades ago. The little arms they are sending are doing minimal to patch the damage done in the front line.

So their biggest ask, and the purpose of these articles on Ukraine, is to bring the war closer to us. Why should IMSA care about Ukraine? Why should the world care about Ukraine? Because those fighting in it are just like us, and sadly, those dying in it aren’t too different from us. Civilians are the strategic target of Russia, as it struck shopping malls and a 9-story building in Serhiivka, making no attempt at targeting military personnel. Yet, in a press conference afterward, a spokesperson for Putin said that they hit military sites. Ms. Perry has had enough of Russian lies. Discussing the true horrors of war is a first step towards increasing public awareness.

So what is there that we can do as individuals, a school, or a country?

“Ukraine is really fighting the war for the rest of the world.” — Kate Honchar (26’)

We call ourselves a free world. Yet is it really free when our allies are being attacked and we only choose to watch? How free is it when Russia gets to blatantly lie in the UN Security Council, knowing they wield veto power? Are Ukrainians free? Certainly not from the fear of daily missile strikes. Every buzz on the phone could be sad news.

And can you imagine a world where Russia wins? Gains further dominance over natural gas pipelines across all of Eurasia? Controls grain exports for almost every developing country in Africa? Threatens to erase Ukrainian culture and traditions by replacing entire cities with Russian passports and forced citizenship? I’d rather not.

Ukraine really is fighting for the rest of the world. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers, coming from ordinary families, put their lives on the line so the impacts of warfare don’t spill across the oceans. So the international “bully” in Putin is held off and defeated. But they can’t be alone; they need the world behind them.

One important aspect of the war, as Ms. Perry mentions, is drones. Ukraine uses drones to attack Russian troops with high precision and low human cost. With land combat slowing into a grind, whoever controls the air will control this war. And Ukraine needs over 1 million more drones. There are multiple funds online where people can donate for drones specifically. 

Drones are key in a Ukrainian victory (The Atlantic)

The biggest thing we can do is stay informed and active. I remember bringing up my article topic to my friends, and one of my wingmates said, “I thought the war ended, no?” Indeed, American media has slowly withdrawn their presence from Ukraine. One of the most crucial conflicts today is fading into oblivion. Ignorance isn’t bliss, especially when the war directly affects our IMSA community.

Lastly, we need optimism, love, and hope. This war will end. Justice will be served. People like Kate and Ms. Perry will return to their hometowns. The buildings might have crumbled but the soul of the cities remains strong and unwavering. Because no amount of missiles will bend the courage and will of Ukrainians.