Jakarta –
Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to try to defeat Ukraine and annex its neighboring country’s eastern regions. This comes after Moscow began a major attack on its neighboring country two years ago. Entering the third year of the war, there were still Indonesian citizens (WNI) there, including Pepi Aprianti Utami. He told DW:
“I live in Kyiv. The situation here is quite safe, as there are no obstacles at all to returning to work, carrying out activities like before the war. However, the feeling of anxiety and fear is still there, because every day there are air attacks from Russia.
“So the air raid sirens are still sounding, even though there are no missiles directly reaching Kyiv, but the threat is always there,” is how Pepi actualized his current situation. He lives with his family in Ukraine.
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“It’s different from the previous year, for example, when a siren sounds, I check the official information from the Ukrainian government, what does this sound mean? So if, for example, there is a drone attack, it’s because the distance is not long, I’m just inside the house, the important thing is indoors. and wait until the warning is finished,” said Pepi.
Shelters and emergency bags are a mainstay
“And, for example, if the warning is that there is a fighter plane taking off like that, carrying missiles, which poses a threat like that, I usually get ready to go to the shelter. Because there is a possibility that there will be a large-scale attack,” said Pepi.
“Once there was an attack on Kyiv, which was a massive attack, not far from where I live and it was affected. Luckily at that time I got the information from an application belonging to the Ukrainian government. Before that happened I was ready to go to the shelter at that time “And it turns out it’s true, during that night Kyiv was bombed on a large scale,” he told DW further.
He has an emergency bag ready to carry if there is a threat of attack. However, the contents of the bag were different from the emergency bag he carried during the early Russian attacks. In the past, the emergency bag contained items for relocation out of town, so it contained more.
“Now, when going to a shelter, the most preparation is like bringing a blanket, then a sleeping bag, a book to kill boredom while waiting in the shelter. When evacuating out of town, there are more important things, like medicine, for example.”
In the shelter, medicine, food and electricity have been prepared. Refugee residents can cook there. Even though a mattress is also provided for sleeping, Pepi prefers to bring his own sleeping bag.
He no longer remembers how often he went to the shelter. Not only when there is a threat of danger, he explained. “For example, I go to the shelter, because I can’t sleep at home. So, for example, if there is an air attack in the middle of the night, for example our family, if there is an air attack like that, one of us has to wake up, don’t sleep. Meanwhile, at that time I “And my husband had to work the next day, so he had to rest, he had stayed up late the night before. Because we wanted to sleep, meaning we didn’t have to worry about sleeping, we went to the shelter to sleep,” said Pepi.
Near his house there is a shelter that has been prepared for local residents. “So, if we want to rest there, we come there at night. Or, for example, if we are in an area far from our home, for example in a supermarket or mall, we go to a shelter where we can only sit, no “You can rest, just sit and wait,” said Pepi.
The shelter near Pepi’s house is under the ground of a small clinic. “So there is a basement but it’s not for parking, so it’s like a hospital building, but it has a bottom floor.
“At the beginning of the invasion, the Ukrainian government had provided mattresses and other essential items, which had been built as a place to shelter,” he explained.
Choose to survive
If there were no threats that would require him to leave Ukraine, Pepi would choose to stay in the war-torn country. “During the invasion, I had to evacuate, leave the house. Well, this second year I can go home, can live in my own house again and can also work again.”
When I think about whether I should leave Ukraine, I can’t find a reason why I should leave Ukraine. “When I decided to return to Kyiv, it was because I followed the news that there were no Russian troops in Kyiv,” he explained.
“Indeed, I can’t say for sure when that person will feel 100% safe in Kyiv. However, if I personally follow the advice from the government and also find out about information in Ukraine, as well as about knowledge to survive like that, for “I provide a greater sense of security,” concluded Pepi. (app/cellphone)
(ita/ita)
2024-02-23 10:00:38
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