Ukrainian refugees shelter from the cold at a shelter near the border checkpoint in Medica, Poland, on March 6, 2018 (local time). Medica/Reporter Kim Hye-yoon [email protected]
[특파원 칼럼] Noh Ji-won | Berlin Correspondent
On February 24, 2022, right following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, in early March, I headed to Poland to meet refugees crossing the border. At that time, the number of refugees had already exceeded 1.3 million. One year following that, the number of refugees reached 14 million, more than 10 times the number at the beginning of the war. Anna, a mother of two daughters whom she met in Poland, returned to her home following Ukrainian forces recaptured Kiiw in late March. Yuliya, from northeastern Kharkiv, is still in Germany with his daughter. Even following our forces recaptured Kharkiv last September, the Russian army continues to inflict heavy artillery fire and casualties. The government is restoring the collapsed city, but even today, 35,000 citizens in Kharkiv alone live without electricity. In April of last year, regarding a month following covering the border with Ukraine, the world witnessed the massacre committed by Russia in Bucha on the outskirts of Kieu. Everyone is speechless. Only in June, they belatedly found the cities that had been trampled by the Russian army, such as Bucha, Irpin, and Voronalka. Dmitro, who was kidnapped by the Russian army and barely released; Oksana, who saved her life with her two daughters in an apartment collapsed by a missile attack; and Valerie, who was shot through the thigh by an enemy soldier. The terrible memory I heard from the citizens was the ongoing war, which wouldn’t be strange if it happened once more tomorrow. There is still a photo of the mother and son killed in the car during the Bucha massacre in March on the mobile phone. Her mother lies on her side, and her son sits in the passenger seat, his head hanging, cold. Photos of those who were brutally killed were uploaded on the Telegram messenger today. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights announced on the 21st that at least 21,293 civilian casualties in Ukraine have been reported. Among them, 1441 are children. Last October, Russian forces launched attacks targeting energy infrastructure across Ukraine ahead of a cold winter. Friends living in Kiiwu said, “I was terrified in March, but now I’m shivering with the cold.” In some cases, people had to go without water, electricity, or heating for three to three days, or even a week in severe cases. As of February, 18 million people are in dire need of Indian assistance. At the beginning of the year, I visited Kiiu once more. On the last day of the year, the first day of the new year, air raid warnings went off without a hitch. During the day, there was the roar of missiles falling, and at night, there was the sound of explosions as Ukrainian forces intercepted missiles. I saw a building that had just collapsed in an air raid. For me, it was a ‘nightmare’ for a week, but for Ukrainian citizens, it was a ‘daily life’ that continued throughout the year. The war I witnessed as a journalist for a year was more brutal than movies and novels. A terrible war that claimed thousands and tens of thousands of lives. Anna and Yulia, Dmitro, Oksana, Valery… Ukrainian citizens endure today in their own way. However, some argue that a compromise must be made for ‘peace’. Since we can’t beat Russia anyway, we want to give up some land and end it. I am reminded of the words of a former high-ranking Ukrainian official who we met in downtown Kiiu on December 31st, “If Crimea is left as it is, Russia will invade once more in two years, and if Crimea is taken back, there will be peace for 20 to 30 years.” These words came from the experience that peace cannot be obtained through compromise. On the 21st, the Ukrainian non-governmental research institute ‘Rating’ released a survey result that 95% of Ukrainian citizens are confident of victory. A report from this year’s Munich Security Conference stated that “89% of Ukrainians are ready to fight even if Russia uses nuclear weapons.” I hope that Ukraine’s will to resist will change the ‘relentless reality of international politics’ this year. [email protected]
