LEXINGTON, Ky. — This week marks six months since Russia invaded Ukraine and a Ukrainian woman from Kentucky fears people may have forgotten about the war as time stretches on.
These days SvitLana Duychak is limiting her time on social media.
“It’s hard to think about that six months of death every day and destruction,” Duychak said.
What You Need To Know
- This week marks six months since Russia invaded Ukraine
- The Ukraine native fears people may have forgotten about the war as time stretches on
- According to the U.N. Refugee Agency, close to 7 million Ukrainians have fled to neighboring countries in Europe
- SvitLana Duychak reflects on the six months that passed since the invasion started in Ukraine
We first shared Duychak’s story back in April, after she returned to Lexington.
In early February, she traveled to Kyiv to visit family, only to take shelter when the war started.
“It was at the beginning, crazy, you know. People had empathy. You say that word right, empathy to Ukrainians?” Duychak said. “And was like, so sorry how we can help, you know, but when it’s so long, several months passed. Now, it’s like they don’t even remember things.”
Duychak stays in contact with her immediate friends and family living in Ukraine, all at the moment alive and unharmed.
“Here we feel safe and we have a normal life,” Duychak said. “I can only think about it or hear it from the news or from the people who speak, but they live there and they used to it, they used to the war. I don’t know how you can get used to it because they hear the bad news every single day that somebody died in that city, somebody died there.”
The war is taking a toll on her mental health, with constant worry and wondering how much longer will this continue.
“It’s sad, it could be done more for Ukraine, you know, right now, to end this war sooner,” Duychak said. “Just to finish up Putin and his army, and it’s like, stretching, postponing… help sending there little by little. They need much more. You know how it feels that could be done more, but it doesn’t.”
So she remains positive by taking inspiration from people who have traveled from here to help with humanitarian relief efforts in Ukraine.
“This war has to end soon because so many people helping, you know, helping financially help him physically go there, you know and just amazing,” Duychak said.
All she asks for is more prayers and donations to help Ukraine come out of the war.
According to the U.N. Refugee Agency, close to 7 million Ukrainians have fled to neighboring countries in Europe.