Ukraine: Independence day gets new meaning, says ambassador

Ukrainian tour guide Oleksandra Fedorenko hid with 30 people in a bomb shelter in the centre of Chernihiv that Thursday, 24 February, when Russia invaded Ukraine – the day life changed forever.

Fedorenko fled her hometown and spent two months in the west of Ukraine, “in a safe place”. “Then I returned to my lovely Chernihiv.

But, of course, the country is at war; air raids are daily; we seek shelter daily…”

‘It’s a war nobody wanted’

Yesterday, as the country celebrated its 31st Independence Day, the Ukrainian ambassador to South Africa Liubov Abravitova said of the invasion: “It’s a war nobody wanted.”

Six months into the invasion the cost is high. “More than 372 children have been killed so far. Our inflation rate has gone up to 31%… We never wanted this,” she said.

“To say we looked for trouble is like saying Ukraine wanted the Russians to come and kill us and watch how our economy is being destroyed.”

Abravitova said she was aware of Russian propaganda about Ukraine’s aspirations to become a member of Nato. “But Russia never anticipated so many neutral countries would become Nato members.”

She said Ukraine’s Independence Day had a different meaning this year. “It’s not about the independence of one country but independence in the 21st century. We are fighting for the right of every country to be independent,” she said. Abravitova said Russia thought it would control Ukraine in just three days.

Russia thought it would control Ukraine in three days

“But it was impossible because Ukraine resisted – and the world united.” Russia occupied 21% of the territory in Ukraine – the size of Italy, she said.

“It’s not only our 31st anniversary of independence but also six months after the invasion. We were able to prevent Russia from going any further into our territories these past six months,” Abravitova said.

It is that resistance that Fedorenko is proud of. “In Chernihiv we all experience daily stress [with the constant bombardment] – but at the same time, the Ukraine troops fighting back uplifts us.

“We believe in our armed forces. We try to live on,” Fedorenko said. “My house is a multiapartment, four-storey building, which was built in the ’50s with a bomb shelter,” she said.

‘I never thought the bomb shelters would be used’

“I never thought the bomb shelter would ever be used – until the war broke out. Russia is talking about peace negotiations on its conditions, but Abravitova is not hopeful.

“The problem is, what kind of negotiations could be held if Russia continued to execute missile strikes?” she asked.

“The process for peace could only start once Russia withdraws its troops and the last soldier moves from Ukraine and we receive back our borders.”

The embassy is celebrating Ukraine’s Independence Day by hosting a Race for Peace fun run this weekend to create awareness about the ongoing situation in Ukraine.

NOW READ: Six months of war in Ukraine

– marizkac@citizen.co.za v