“Today we were bombed.”
That was the message Svitlana Kobyletska (47) woke up to Thursday morning. Russia had then started the attack on Ukraine with full force from all fronts. There is now a full-scale war going on in the country. The plane alarm has gone off several times, and according to the UN has more than 50,000 Ukrainians fled the country in a short time.
Saturday morning came the news that Ukrainian authorities ask people to seek refuge in shelters and other safe places.
In Norway, Kobyletska experiences a strong helplessness, far away from friends and family. She says she is in shock at how the conflict has degenerated.
– IN KYIV: A woman cleans after an apartment complex in a suburb of Kyiv has been completely damaged in Russian attacks. Photo: Daniel Leal / AFP
–
– It is simply completely unreal. This has been announced for a long time, but I did not think it would go that far, she says to TV 2 on Friday.
Kobyletska (47) has lived in Norway for 20 years, but is originally from Ukraine. She runs a staffing agency, and has several employees from both Ukraine and Russia.
In an interview with TV 2, she talks about how friends and acquaintances experience the ongoing war.
– They do not know where to turn. Some are hiding in bomb shelters and have been sitting there since Thursday morning. With infants and everything. Others are elderly and dependent on treatment, so they can not seek refuge.
– There is also a hidden evacuation, but it is almost impossible to find information about where to go. Many people simply do not know what to do, says Kobyletska.
She herself lives in Norway, and closely follows how her acquaintances and loved ones are doing at home in Ukraine.
– I’m glued to my phone, while I’m waiting for an update from family and friends. It may be the last time I hear from them for all I know. It is impossible to sleep or think of anything else in such a situation, she says in a trembling voice.
On Thursday night, at least 137 people were reported killed on the first day of the war. Over 300 are injured, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. It is unclear how many were killed and injured on Saturday.
–
–
Will not flee
Kobyletska is from Eastern Ukraine, and her family lives in a small town in the area. Some of the first attacks recorded on Thursday night took place in eastern Ukraine. This is also now a front line for an ongoing war.
The UN estimates that around 100,000 Ukrainians have already left their homes. But for Kobyletska’s family, fleeing is not an option.
– It is not an option for my parents to flee. This is their home. They have lived in the same place all these years. It is worse to split up and flee than to let the war come, says Kobyletska.
On Thursday night, it was announced that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj will issue a decree on full mobilization after Russia’s invasion.
This means that all conscripts are called in and are prepared for war, and that no men between the ages of 18 and 60 are allowed to leave the country.
Ukraine’s Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov has previously said that anyone who is willing to fight and can carry weapons can join the country’s Home Guard.
– It does not help to cry
Hanna Veits lives at home in Bergen. The helplessness is great while at a distance they have to witness family and friends live in fear and despair while the bombs ravage outside the windows.
– My best friend is terrified. She cried all morning. I’ve talked to her on the phone several times. It’s unbearable. I want to cry myself, but it does not help, says Veits.
The mobile lights up several times during the interview. She is in constant contact with family and friends on social media. Several are considering fleeing west.
– COLLECT MONEY: Student Hanna Veits mobilizes Ukrainians and Norwegians to raise money for the military in Ukraine. Photo: Mathias Kleiveland / TV 2
–
– Mom has already bought a ticket to get out. We are talking about five million people living in Kyiv and the surrounding areas. It is the entire population of Norway. There are a huge number of people. They do not deserve this, says Hanna and picks up her mobile phone.
The 28-year-old comes from the much talked about Luhansk in the middle of eastern Ukraine, and has lived in Norway for the last four years to study. Now she has shifted her focus to the war in Ukraine, mobilizing Ukrainians and Norwegians to raise money for the military at home.
– I hope that western countries understand that diplomatic support and sanctions against Russia are not enough in this situation. We actually need serious military support. I hope they send us physical help, says Veits.
– We need action, not words
There are thousands of Ukrainians in Norway who are affected by the ongoing war. In Oslo, there have been several support marches, including under the auspices of the Ukrainian Association in Norway.
– Ukrainians in Norway are very worried. They send money home to help family and friends trapped in the war. Our most important task now is to take care of them and try to express that the West must help Ukraine. Not just with words, but with action.
This is what Natalia Ravn-Christensen says, who helped start the organization in 2004.
– Ukrainian soldiers at a bridge in the middle of Kyiv. Photo: Emilio Morenatti
–
Ravn-Christensen adds that she is overwhelmed by the support from the West, but that tougher sanctions are needed to stop Russia.
The Ukrainian embassy in Norway says the situation is very critical, and that they are preparing to facilitate Ukrainians who may come to Norway as a result of the war.
– The embassy continues to provide regular consular services and intends to do the same for Ukrainian citizens who may come to Norway as a result of today’s Russian aggression. Of course, many practical issues must be discussed and resolved in close cooperation with the Norwegian authorities.
It writes the embassy in an email to TV 2.
–
