With Russian soldiers mounting on their doorstep, residents in Ukraine’s border cities are starting to flee after shelling and airstrikes began before dawn Thursday.
Roman Vydro, who lives in Kharkiv about 40 kilometres from the Russian border, told CTV’s Your Morning he woke up to the sound of explosions. Shelling was also heard in the cities of Kyiv and Odesa.
"I woke up at 5 a.m. by the call of my mother who said that the war has started. And right afterwards I had started hearing and reports were coming in from my friends on Messenger that there are explosions happening all over the city," Vydro said in an interview on Thursday.
While the city drew quiet in the afternoon and Vydro said his initial "panic" has since gone down, he said there were hours of "extreme uncertainty" following the explosions. He said the airstrikes occurred a little distance outside of Kharkiv, but the shelling and its aftermath was visible from apartment buildings.
"It was a shocking morning for me, the most shocking morning of my life," Vydro said.
- Latest updates on the Russia-Ukraine crisis
- What you need to know as explosions boom over Ukraine
Russia launched a wide-ranging attack on Ukraine on Thursday, hitting cities and bases with airstrikes or shelling, as civilians piled into trains and cars to flee. Ukraine’s government said Russian tanks and troops rolled across the border and accused Moscow of starting a "full-scale war."
In announcing the major military operation, Russian President Vladimir Putin deflected global condemnation and warned other countries that any attempt to interfere would lead to "consequences you have never seen."
Vydro said he lives on the west side of Kharkiv, near one of the biggest streets that turns into a highway that leads to Poltava in the capital of Kyiv. He noted that the street was filled with vehicles, causing traffic jams Thursday morning as residents rushed to leave the city, despite the government telling citizens to remain home.
"Some of my friends who have a lot to lose, people with little kids for instance, have left the city and are going West. My plan is to stay here as far as I’m useful, which is still now," Vydro explained.
Vydro, who is an engineer, co-founded Garage Hub, which he says is a space for innovators to "express themselves." Following his interview with CTV’s Your Morning, Vydro said he would be heading to Garage Hub’s basement as the crisis continues to unfold.
"We are gathering some of our residents and closest friends just to stay positive and get the most up to date information and fact check all the information that we’re getting," he said, adding that many Russian news outlets are spreading disinformation and propaganda about the current situation.
"I cannot do anything about missiles, I cannot do anything about political negotiations. All I can do is double check the news that we get and be eloquent and provide information firsthand to those who are outside Ukraine so that they can take necessary action," Vydro said.
RESPONSE FROM WEST
Western countries have so far responded to Russia with sanctions that they say will become more severe if the situation deteriorates further.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau unveiled Canada’s "first round" of economic sanctions against Russia on Tuesday, banning Canadians from all financial dealings with the "so-called independent states" of Donetsk and Luhansk and sanctioning members of the Russian parliament who voted in favour of declaring the regions as independent.
The government has also approved a deployment of up to 460 Canadian Axjmtzywrmed Forces troops to Latvia as part of Operation REASSURANCE to "reinforce" Canada’s commitment to NATO.
This comes after weeks of rising tensions and warnings from world leaders that an invasion from Russia could be imminent.
- World expresses outrage, plans stronger Russia sanctions
"We really need to understand that this didn’t appear out of nowhere. This conflict was escalating and was happening for over eight years [since the Russian annexation of Crimea], so it’s not big news for us that Russia has started this full scale aggression," Vydro said.
However, he said he is "shocked" and "angry" by what has happened.
"Just try to imagine how emotionally devastating it was for me to wake up today, instead of having [a] cup of coffee and watching TV, just hearing the missile strikes and hearing my mother saying that the war has started," Vydro said.
"This is something that I will remember for the rest of my life, and I would not wish this to anyone."
Vydro said he is seeing on social media that people around the world are "praying for Ukraine," which he says it "great," but noted more needs to be done to help the country.
"Please do something. Demand political action from people who represent you in the government, demands troops, demand support with military gear or any other way possible," he said. "This has to be stopped. It’s ridiculous to have a war in the 21st century in a European country."
UKRAINIANS ARE ‘GOING TO SUFFER’
Yuri Broda, president of the Ukrainian Youth Association of Canada, told CTV News Channel on Thursday he is hearing from family members in Kyiv who have fled the city amid concerns of more shelling to come.
"Some of their neighbours are reporting literal aircraft crashes in the neighbourhood, down the street," Broda said. "This isn’t some war that’s happening far away. This is literally happening in their city in their neighbourhoods."
Broda said it is "harrowing" to see what is unfolding in Ukraine, given the discussions around freedom that have taken place around the world for the past two years amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
"If you say that you’re interested in freedom in your own country, then you have to look to see what’s happening in Ukraine because they truly are on the frontline of the battle for freedom and democracy in the world," he said.
Broda added he "can’t think of a purer expression of that desire for freedom" than what he is hearing from friends and family in Ukraine.
"They just want to be left alone. They want to live in their country peacefully, freely able to raise their families, go to work and have a life that’s normal. They’re not interested in war," he said.
- Why the West cares about the situation in Russia-Ukraine
In contrast, Olexiy Haran, comparative politics professor at the University of Kyiv Mohyla Academy, says Putin’s latest aggressions have actually united Ukrainians.
Speaking to CTV News Channel on Thursday, Haran said there is typically a "very tough political struggle" in Ukraine, yet both the ruling party and the opposition have come together to create a defence coalition and declared martial law.
"Ukrainians are united. Yes, they’re disturbed, but they do not panic and people are ready to take [action]," he said.
While Putin may want to take over Ukraine, Haran said the actions overnight have stifled what, if any, support Russia may have had from some parts of Ukraine.
"Even [if] he manages to somehow to defeat Ukrainian army, there’s no way for him to control Ukraine, the population is against him," Haran said.
Former NATO commander David Fraser told CTV’s Your Morning Thursday Ukrainians are "going to suffer" as Russia continues its push into the country, and urged those in cities that have not yet been hit by airstrikes to "get out of the way."
"This is bigger than just Donbas, and we’ve got to be careful that this doesn’t spill outside of the Ukrainian boundary," Fraser said.
If it does, Fraser said it may lead to a third World War.
"Europe hasn’t seen anything like this since World War II," he said. "We’ve never seen Russia attack quite like this before and unfortunately, they want to take back Ukraine."
RELATED IMAGESview larger image
Smoke and flame rise near a military building after an apparent Russian strike in Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
People walk past the consequences of Russian shelling in Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022. (AP Photo/Mikhail Palinchak)
Smoke rise from an air defence base in the aftermath of an apparent Russian strike in Mariupol, Ukraine, Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
