Sask. residents fear for loved ones in Ukraine after Russian invasion

Father Vasyl Tymishak said his family in Ukraine woke up to the sound of missiles falling after Russian forces invaded the country by land, air and sea on Thursday.

Now, Saskatchewan families are worried sick about their loved ones living under attack. 

"I'm concerned for safety of my family in Ukraine," said Tymishak, who is a priest at St. Athanasius Ukrainian Catholic Church in Regina. He moved to Saskatchewan with his immediate family from Ukraine in 2017. 

"There is no safe place in Ukraine because every area is now in danger."

Now, both his family in Canada and those in Ukraine are praying for peace. His 81-year-old mother still lives in Ukraine, and he doesn't know when or how he will see her again. 

It's unclear how the war will escalate, even though there have been more promises of sanctions from global leaders. 

"It is evident that [Russian President Vladimir] Putin's regime doesn't seem to be guided by reason and wisdom," Tymishak said.

Ukrainians in Canada are anxious about the bloodshed that could happen in the coming days. 

"Many civilians will be killed by Russians, by Russian troops. The results may be devastating for all of Ukraine — they are already devastating," said Petro Skirchuk, who moved his family from Ukraine to Saskatoon about 10 months ago because of the looming threat of war.

He noted the countries have been in conflict for centuries, but the tension escalated in 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea. 

"Ukraine is not [Putin's] final destination," said Skirchuk.

"As a dictator, he aims to demonstrate his power to all the world, and after Ukraine I think the same things will come to, for example, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia — and then on and on and on before somebody will stop him."

Skirchuk said some of his loved ones are contemplating leaving Ukraine, while others are preparing to fight.

He became emotional as he said there's little that can be said to loved ones living under the threat of war. 

"I just hope they will be alive," he said. "The bigger war is coming." 

'The darkest time for us here'

Iryna Matsiuk, who has been living in Saskatoon since 2011 and has immediate family back in Ukraine, spoke to CBC News Wednesday before the official invasion.

Her concern about the escalating tensions intensified earlier this week when Putin formally recognized two renegade districts in eastern Ukraine, where Moscow-backed proxy forces have been fighting Ukrainian forces for seven years.

On Thursday morning, while the Ukrainian government said the former Soviet republic was being attacked from the east, there were reports that more than 40 soldiers had been killed and dozens wounded in the north and south.

Matsiuk is worried for her sister, who lives in the capital city of Kyiv, as well as her mother and grandmother who live in the northwestern area of Volyn. 

"It's a world full of emotions," said Matsiuk, who was raised in western Ukraine, and is an immigration consultant and a volunteer with the Saskatoon branch of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress.

"On the one hand, we are very concerned about what's going to happen to our families — to Ukraine in general. And on the other hand, it's: 'What can we do here?'"

The Ukrainian Canadian Congress has been building awareness through rallies, fighting misinformation by sharing factual information on the issues back home and providing support to Ukrainians in Saskatchewan. 

Matsiuk said, at first, her contacts in Ukraine said there was no point in being in panic mode, and that they believed Russia's presence along the Ukrainian border to be a political game.

"But something changed with the news," she said before the invasion. "In the last few days, things kind of escalated to a completely different level. And some people are preparing."

She said people she knows in Ukraine are preparing their families for the worst-case scenario. Matsiuk said she is fearful of Russia occupying Ukraine. 

"That will be like probably the darkest time for us here. And I know it will last for a long time," she said.

On Jan.31, the Saskatchewan government said it would give a $100,000 donation to the Ukrainian Canadian Congress in an effort to "support, coordinate and deliver humanitarian aid in Ukraine."

"Nearly 129,000 Ukrainians have chosen to call Saskatchewan home and have made our province a better place because of it," Legislative Secretary Responsible for Ukraine Relations Terry Dennis said.

"Our government will always support Ukraine's right to defend its sovereignty against foreign aggression."

Russian Sask. resident opposes war

Saskatchewan residents from Russia are also troubled by the attack. Oleg Kougiya was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, — a city known at the time as Leningrad, and part of the USSR. 

"It's always funny to say because I was born in a city that does not exist, in a country that does not exist," Kougiya said.

He has been in Canada since 2007, and is an administrator for the Saskatoon Russian Folk Centre. 

Kougiya said part of the reason for moving was political, but typically his family visits Russia every two years.

Before the invasion, he told CBC News that he is against violence and hopes it will not come to that between Ukraine and Russia — which he emphasized are two very different countries, despite sharing many historic moments.

"It's just like Canada and the U.S.," Kougiya said.

"It's always good to be in a good mood and a good relationship with your neighbour. [Otherwise] it starts conflict, starts a fight over something that I'm pretty sure can be resolved in a more civilized manner."

Kougiya said he does not believe that armed conflict is the answer. 

"If people have something to discuss, they should talk. They should not be fighting and again sacrificing the young. Sacrificing their citizens, their health and safety toward some political goals is always unacceptable," Kougiya said.

"Unfortunately, I know that it's not going to help regular people."

Unrest in the region

On Wednesday, Ukraine declared a nationwide state of emergency after Putin received authorization to use military force outside his country and the West responded with sanctions.

Ukrainian lawmakers approved President Volodymyr Zelensky's decree that imposes the measure for 30 days, starting Thursday. The state of emergency allows authorities to impose restrictions on movement, block rallies and ban political parties and organizations "in the interests of national security and public order."

Ukrainian authorities have repeatedly voiced concern that Russia could try destabilize the country by relying on Moscow's supporters inside the country, including a pro-Russia political party represented in parliament.

It follows Putin's move Monday to recognize the independence of separatist regions in Eastern Ukraine, where a nearly eight-year conflict has killed over 14,000 people.

Putin originally said he sanctioned the deployment of Russian troops there to "maintain peace."

In a statement on Twitter Thursday morning, Premier Scott Moe called Russia's attack on Ukraine "unprovoked, unwarranted and evil." 

Moe said he wants Canada to impose "severe and immediate" trade sanctions, including ending the import of Russian oil and natural gas.