Islanders with ties to Ukraine fear for loved ones amid Russian invasion

Oleg Bebeshko's mother-in-law is one of the thousands of Ukrainians hiding underground in Kyiv's subway system, as a barrage of explosions strike the capital city — part of an invasion by Russian forces.

Bebeshko and his family live on the Island now in Rice Point, but some of the family still lives in Ukraine.

Just a few minutes before being interviewed by CBC's Island Morning, Bebeshko had been in touch with his mother-in-law.  He said hours earlier, she had heard sirens and made her way underground into the subway-turned-bomb shelter. 

"She's staying there now, in the underground because the underground doesn't rock," Bebeshko said. 

Lots of civilians are dying now. Women. Kids. Civilians.— Oleg Bebeshko

"She's worried. She's nervous. But she is getting used to the situation because previously we had a tough time in Donetsk, in 2014 and 2015."

That's when Russian-backed separatists in the country's eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk started seizing government buildings and later declared independence from Ukraine.

Bebeshko is one of many Islanders with connections to Ukraine and Russia. Everyone is watching what is going on there nervously.

Russian President Vladimir Putin declared war in a televised address Thursday morning. Then the Russian military invaded Ukraine by air, land, and sea in the biggest attack on a European state since the Second World War.

"Lots of civilians are dying now," Bebeshko said. "Women. Kids. Civilians."

Event planned in Charlottetown

People from the region who live on P.E.I. are planning to show their support for Ukraine at an event this weekend in Charlottetown. Organizers are still working out the details of the event. 

Tatiana Mizerina is involved, and is originally from Russia but has been living on the Island since 2014. 

Mizerina doesn't want people to think that all Russians support this action.

"People don't have enemies. It's only the politics," Mizerina said. "It's nothing to do with the normal people."

She said many Islanders who come from different countries have said they would like to support Ukraine.

"I feel shame because I am Russian and every time I hear Russia attacked Ukraine and everything, I feel shame, even if I don't do anything wrong," she said. "I really admire people who protested in Russia. It's very easy to protest here in Canada when you are safe."

Thousands of Russians protested the military action across the country Thursday, and more than 1,700 were detained as a result.

They are there and you are here and you cannot help.— Elina Lialiuk

Bebeshko said he really appreciates the efforts of Mizerina and others.

"I just want to point out that almost everyone in Ukraine has friends and relatives in Russia," he said. "No one wants to fight with each other."

'World history changed'

Elina Lialiuk moved from Lviv, Ukraine, in 2019 and now lives in Stratford. She said that up until this week, she didn't think it would reach this point in her home country. 

"It was building up, building up, building up," Lialiuk said. "There were some tensions of course, but I didn't believe it would happen. This is the 21st century.

"On February 24th, world history changed. There is the world before February 24th and after."

Lialiuk said the free world has to "rally to Ukraine's cause"  immediately.

"If Russia is not stopped in Ukraine, Russian aggression will actually spread to the rest of the world," she said. "The fight of the Ukrainian people, their freedom, is the fight of free people the world over." 

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday a new suite of "severe" sanctions against Russian entities after the attacks.

Lialiuk still has immediate family in the country — she said people there are panicked. 

"Being here, you feel some guilt," she said. "They are there and you are here and you cannot help." 

She said all she can do is spread awareness about how people here might support the region. 

"This is a nightmare," she said.