The university’s Alumni Association shared “harrowing stories” from alumni currently living in Ukraine amidst the Russian assault on the country, in a recent article from March 8. Russia has continued its invasion of Ukraine, attacking major cities and urban areas including: Kyiv, Kherson and Melitpol, according to the live updates from The New York Times.
“The day will come when we will rebuild everything that is being destroyed. It will surely be based on the utmost love for our country and its people, and people all around the world supporting us in various ways,” alumna, Marianna Yakubenko IBS MA ’05, is quoted saying in the article.
Alumni reached out to the Alumni Association with their personal stories to be shared with Brandeis community members. In their conversations, alumni also spoke of ways in which members of the community can support Ukrainians as they face the war with Russia, according to the article.
Martin Zhunior IBS MBA ’10, another Ukrainian alumni featured in the article, spoke to members of the Alumni Association via Zoom. Zhunior described the situation as being, “surreal,” saying, “ it’s hard to believe it’s happening.”
Zhunior also shared his story from when the invasions started on Feb. 24, he said that when he first heard the explosions starting in the middle of the night he woke up but tried to deny what was happening. After failing to get himself to fall back asleep, he turned on CNN to confirm that the invasions had started. “In Kyiv, we have a lot of sirens throughout the day and we hear some explosions. Thankfully, most of them are somewhere in the distance, but our windows still shake and we wake up in the middle of the night from sirens,” he explained what the current day to day life is like in Kyiv.
While Zhunior has decided to stay in Kyiv, he told the Alumni Association that he put his mother on a train heading to Poland for safety. Zhunior noted that it is predominantly men left in Kyiv, with women and children having left. Zhunior explained, “There are so many people, just ordinary guys like me, without any military experience. So many people are willing to take up arms and defend the nation. So many people are outraged by this injustice.”
Currently, in Kyiv Zhunior explained that in the cities center where he is located they have been able to stay in their apartments for the most part since the, “bombardments are predominantly happening right now in the outskirts.” Those in the city still spent one night underground in the subway system as a means of sheltering. Zhunior explained that they move to shelters if the bombardments continue for a long time or if the blasting is sounding from a closer distance.
“I would like to call on the Brandeis community to support Ukraine, to support the community, to support the army, because they are our heroes, our hope for Ukraine. You know, it’s so funny, that I’m a Black guy who has been living in Kyiv, Ukraine, and the president of the Russian Federation talks about Neo-Nazis in Ukraine and it’s just so ridiculous: the accusations, the degree of the lies he’s telling,” Zhunior said according to a transcript from the interview.
An action to support Ukrianians that Zhunior encouraged is for community members to contribute towards the Ukrainian National Bank fund which supports the Ukrainian Army. “ I would like them to do whatever they can to support the people of Ukraine, because we need the whole world behind us if we are to get through,” Zhunior said.
Another Ukrainian alumni, who remained unnamed in the article, shared his story of moving himself and his family out of Kyiv— the capital city of Ukraine which is under assault by the Russians. The alumni shared the moment before leaving his apartment where he took the opportunity to take pictures of valuables he was unable to bring with them when they left. Among the items that he was unable to bring with him included his Brandeis diploma.
According to a CNN article, at least 636 Ukrainian civilians have been murdered since the Russian invasion began on Feb. 24, according to a report released by the United Nations (UN) on March 13. The UN Human Rights office (OHCHR) announced that among those dead include six girls, 10 boys and more than 30 children whose gender has not been identified. A total of 1,125 civilians have been injured as a result of the invasions. The death toll does not include from cities like Kharkiv and Mariupol, which have seen the most bombardments, according to a New York Times article. The death toll in Mariupol alone, according to local officials is upwards of 2,400 civilians, this comes after a theater which was housing approximately 1000 civilians was destroyed in Mariupol by Russian forces.
The UN issued its highest court order on March 16 following a case filed by Ukraine with the International Court of Justice. The UN called for an immediate cease-fire on the Russian invasion and condemned the military force Russia has exerted onto Ukraine, according to a New York Times live update. The ruling is “largely symbolic” and will likely not cause Russia to withdraw its forces from Ukraine, but it does show support for the Ukrainian government, according to the article.
Mykolaiv— one of the first cities to be invaded by Russian Troops under the orders of Russian president Vladimir Putin— has been a key city in the invasion. After moving deep within the city limits, the Russian troops have been pushed back outside of the city limits by Ukrainian armies, according to a New York Times article. Russian troops are still assaulting the city due to its important geographic location which has access to the Varvarivsky Bridge which can be used to head to Odessa, the Ukrainian city with the country’s navy headquarters, according to the article.
Ukrainian troops have been launching counter attacks in multiple cities including Kyiv trying to cause the most damage to the Russian military, according to a New York Times article. The only Ukrainian city to be occupied by Russia is Kherson, according to the article.
