Two Hopeful Ukrainian Ladies Vow To Stay Put Despite Russia's Bombardment

By Sitti Hadijah Mappeneding KUALA LUMPUR, March 6 (Bernama) -- ‘Never’! This is the instant response from two Ukranian ladies when asked why they have not joined the mass exodus of women and children from their war-torn country. Natalia Tretiak, 26, and Mariia Diachenko, 28 who live somewhere near the capital city of Kyiv are staying put at their respective dwellings with their families and take shelter at the makeshift bunker in the basement when they sense danger. Natalia was once this writer’s coursemate at Qatar University in Doha and shared with Bernama the ordeal she and her country have been undergoing since Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a “special military operation” against her country since Feb 24. “We are staunch supporters of the Ukranian army and will remain here to see the victory that is within reach. We will not surrender. Glory for Ukraine!’ she said when contacted through Instagram on late Friday. However, Natalia and Mariia do not want their exact location to be published fearing repercussions. “Moreover, all bridges connecting my village and the surroundings had been blown up. Me and the whole family have no where to go and have to stay put at our home,” said the Masters in Journalism (Arabic Language) degree holder. Regarding the situation on the ground, she said; “On the second day of the bombings, the electricity supply and internet was interrupted. Internet was only available at a certain corner of the house. We slept in the makeshift bunker in the night. “During the day, when we feel it is safe we will get back to the house to prepare food to last for several days. “At times there is panic and fear, especially when we hear the roar of the jetfighters in the sky and followed by the sound of explosions,” said Natalia who has mastered four languages - Arab, Turkish, English and Russian. Mariia, another of the writer’s former colleague from Ukraine, an Arabic language lecturer at the Kyiv National Linguistic University said vehemently she was not going to leave her motherland no matter what. “This is where my home is. This is where I was born. I will defend my country until my last breath,” she said when contacted through Whatsapp. Recalling the anxious moments at the dawn of Feb 24, the day Russian invasion began, Mariia who is fondly called Maya said she was jolted from her sleep at 5.07 am by the sounds of pounding and explosions from the rockets fired towards nearby areas. “It was then I realised that the war has begun. On the same day we received bad news someone close to us was killed in the attack. “It never crossed our minds that a real war will happen. On the same day we got the bunker ready, known as Morisson in the local language, with each family member taking along backpacks containing important documents and some food supply,” said Mariia who lives with her parents and three brothers. She too lives in a village near Kyiv and as the days went by they became familiar with the daily situation - when the church bells toll, it is the early warning of an impending rocket attack. And in no time they return to their underground bunker. “There is no light in our bunker. No power. Its cold and damp. The wall is covered with moss and there are leeches too. We don’t mind all that, what is important is that we are safe,” Mariia said. “Before the war we start the day with a cup of tea or coffee. Now, our morning routine is checking the wellbeing of our friends and relatives in other towns. “Are you alive? Are you safe? That is the first question each morning now,” said Mariia to Bernama. She fears for the safety of her fiance who could not be contacted over the last four days. Mariia also pointed out that supplies at a nearby supermarket seem to run out fast. “After a container lorry arrives with additional food supply, crowds empty the replenished shelves in 10-minutes! However, Mariia does not worry much over this as the neighbours have been sharing the necessities and ready to eat food. In fact they have even taken the initiative to prepare food for the Ukrainian soldiers nearby. “We have also established our own security team consisting of of men and youths. My three brothers are also in the team and their duty is to secure the neighbourhood. Though she is not working now as the university is closed for two weeks, Mariia being an active Youtuber has been sharing the developments regarding the Russia-Ukraine conflict with international audience. She is also contacted regularly by the Arabic language news outlets including Aljazeera Mubasher and the Alhurra television station for updates on the state of the Ukranians during the war. “Though I m not capable of defending my motherland by taking up weapons, I can defend my country by providing the world the true picture,” she said. Through a Youtube video clip that she shared under the account Simple Ukraine, she patriotically stated that the Ukrainians will not tolerate Russian tyranny. “Putin is trying to divide Ukranians. Inadvertently, the opposite is happening, he has united us. We are united more than ever,” she said. “All that we want now is to wake up one morning and hear over the radio the most awaited news. “War has ended. Ukraine is safe!,” she said at the end of the conversation. -- BERNAMA