“My parents and my brother live in Ukraine. What will become of them? I am in a state of panic. I don’t know what to do,” worries Olena Storozhuk.
This 28-year-old Ukrainian, who has lived in Chartres since 2018, has been following events hour by hour since Russia invaded and bombed Ukrainian territory this Thursday, February 24, in the early morning.
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The young woman responded to our call for testimonials launched on social networks. This Chartraine, wife of opposition municipal councilor Quentin Guillemain (Chartres Ecologie), confides:
“I knew something was brewing, but I never imagined that Vladimir Putin would declare open war on all of Ukraine. I thought he would stop at the Donbass territories. »
Olena Storozhuk (Ukrainian living in Chartres since 2018)
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Olena Storozhuk’s family lives near the town of Cherkassy, just over 200 km from Kiev, the Ukrainian capital. The young woman came to France in 2015 to study international relations at the Sorbonne University in Paris.
“Europe must decide on heavy economic and military sanctions”
So as not to sit idly by, she took the train to Paris on Thursday morning to join a demonstration against the invasion of Ukraine, in front of the Russian Embassy.
Demonstration against the invasion of Ukraine, in front of the Russian Embassy, Thursday February 24, 2022, in Paris. Photos: Olena Storozhuk
“We are asking Putin to stop the war. Europe must also decide on heavy economic and military sanctions,” said Olena Storozhuk, who said she was “very afraid” for those close to her. She adds :
“My parents’ house is in the center of the country. For eight years, Ukraine has been accustomed to experiencing tensions with Russia. When I spoke with my mother on the phone after the first attacks, she didn’t want to believe it. But when she went to work, she quickly realized that the situation was serious. »
Olena Storozhuk (Ukrainian living in Chartres since 2018)
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Olena Storozhuk’s mother is a teacher. “Classes are suspended. A bombardment took place near a school, 50 km from where my mother works, and a civilian was killed. »
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Her relatives describe scenes she would never have imagined:
“Bank counters are closed. My mother tells me that there are endless queues in front of the ticket machines. Withdrawals are limited. By 11 a.m. there was nothing left on the supermarket shelves. Life suddenly stopped. »
Olena Storozhuk (Ukrainian living in Chartres since 2018)
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Olena Storozhuk explains that her father, who is 51, had been “mobilized in 2015”, during the Donbass war: “This time again, he decided to leave to join the Ukrainian armed forces. He’s courageous. »
Proof that the situation is complex in this region of the world, Olena Storozhuk’s uncle lives in Russia and works in the enemy army of Ukraine. “My mother’s brother moved away during the Soviet era and continued his career in the army. A few days ago, he had warned her that things were brewing…”
Helen Bonnet
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