When Peter Bihun got up this morning, he was afraid to turn on the television to see what was going on.
The president of the Dolyna Ukrainian Cultural Society is now watching carefully, still a little hopeful he said that Ukraine will be able to resist Russia乌鸦传媒檚 invasion.
乌鸦传媒淚 received an email from my cousin this morning, and she乌鸦传媒檚 telling us to pray for Ukraine,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淭hey乌鸦传媒檙e quite afraid. We went from worrying, to frightening.乌鸦传媒�
Father Pavlo Myts, the Pastor of the Dorminition Mother of God Ukrainian Catholic Church in Kelowna and the Holy Resurrection Church of Penticton, said people were praying until midnight.
乌鸦传媒淲e all have family in the East and West Ukraine,乌鸦传媒� said Myts. 乌鸦传媒淢y family is in Ukraine. My brother, sister, their families, my mother, my wife乌鸦传媒檚 family, other cousins, are all there.乌鸦传媒�
Of the 30 families directly involved in the cultural society, almost all of them have families that still live in Ukraine, and they aren乌鸦传媒檛 alone in the Okanagan.
乌鸦传媒淭here乌鸦传媒檚 probably in the Kelowna area about 14,000 people who have Ukrainian heritage,乌鸦传媒� Bihun said.
Some of those people, like Bihun, used to travel regularly back to Ukraine to visit their family and friends.
乌鸦传媒淥ne family I was talking to yesterday, her mother is there and her close relatives, and they乌鸦传媒檝e been in contact with them and it乌鸦传媒檚 very fearful,乌鸦传媒� said Buhin.
The fear that many families feel in Canada is shared by their relatives in Ukraine, he said, but the people aren乌鸦传媒檛 going to give up or run away. 乌鸦传媒淯kraine will fight乌鸦传媒�, he said.
The current conflict didn乌鸦传媒檛 come entirely as a surprise to Buhin, nor to many of those, he knows in Ukraine. In many ways, it is a continuation of the Crimean conflict of 2014.
乌鸦传媒淭he Ukrainians have lost over 15,000 people fighting them already. Fighting a war is not something strange to the people, their young people have been going to the front now for eight years,乌鸦传媒� said Buhin.
Buhin sees what乌鸦传媒檚 happening in Russia as only a first strike from a Russian leader determined to rebuild the Soviet Union by force. It乌鸦传媒檚 something that the rest of the world will need to face down while it can before Putin乌鸦传媒檚 territorial ambitions go further, he added.
Father Myts said that his family in Ukraine have told him that there are already shortages of water and food and that they can乌鸦传媒檛 even flee their city because there isn乌鸦传媒檛 enough gas at the stations.
乌鸦传媒淥ne of the strikes, it was only about 35 kilometres from my hometown,乌鸦传媒� said Myts.
乌鸦传媒淩ight now the biggest help, from the west, will be the democratic countries getting together and really doing some economic damage to Russia, not just a few billionaires. Their billionaires know how to hide money, it needs to be a crushing financial blow to Russia.乌鸦传媒�
Despite the size of the Russian army, the extent of their bombing campaign, and the speed with which they乌鸦传媒檙e moving, Buhin still holds out hope for the Ukrainian people to endure.
乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 like David and Goliath, and with Russia being the aggressor with a huge army, we all know what happened to Goliath and we can only hope that happens here.乌鸦传媒�
Myts is pleading for international aid and for the world to unite, as 乌鸦传媒渢hey will not stop unless the world gets together.乌鸦传媒�
A rally for Ukraine is taking place at the Kelowna City Hall on Saturday, Feb. 26 at 4 p.m. People of all backgrounds are invited to come out in support and bring Ukrainian flags and wear blue and yellow if they can.
Kelowna Mayor Colin Basran has spoken out about Russia乌鸦传媒檚 attacks on Ukraine stating deep concern.
乌鸦传媒淲e stand with the people of Ukraine and their democratically elected government, and all the Ukrainian-Canadians who call Kelowna home,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淲e condemn Russia乌鸦传媒檚 unprovoked attacks. As a community and as individuals, we need to denounce this senseless violence.乌鸦传媒�
Ukraine needs our help
乌鸦传媒� Jacqueline Gelineau (@Rangers_mom)
"Write to your MLAs"
Support can be sent to the , organized by CNEWA Canada. Support for the beleaguered Ukrainians can also be sent through the and Canada-Ukraine Foundation, who have established a humanitarian fund.
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