The Ukrainian war in the lesser of the citizens
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[객원 에디터 10기 / 김예슬 기자] On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Russian troops amassed at the borders began striking major cities, including the capital Kyiv. In response, Ukraine mounted a defence, with support from the West, including the United States and European allies. Data sets from December 2024 show that 43,000 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed and 370,000 injured since the first attack, in 2022. Likewise, 198,000 soldiers had been killed and 550,000 injured on the other side, Russia. Today, the war enters its third year, and the casualties keep multiplying as the years drag on.
39-year-old Anna was born and raised in Ukraine her whole life. She comes from a Ukrainian heritage with two parents and one younger brother. Currently, Ms. Tohobystka is a Korean teacher at a Kyiv foreign language school. She also works with Korean organizations and takes on the job of a correspondent from time to time spreading Ukrainian news. Anna has experienced the war in a very personal way.
Despite Ms. Tohobystka’s efforts to persuade her parents to come to Kyiv, she lives alone as her parents were adamant about staying in their home in the North. When asked about how she felt, she claimed, “I felt really terrified…My parents were living 10km away from the frontline troops.” Unfortunately, only her mother lives in her parent’s house currently. Her father passed away two years ago.
“His health was really good before the war,…but from the stress he got from the war he developed a heart disease” that grew at a rapid speed leading to an earlier goodbye than expected. Ms. Tohobystka ‘s father passed away at the age of 60. “It was such a young age,” Ms. Tohobystka cried. Her eyes were filled with tears, but she managed never to spill a drop. The emotional burden carried could be felt beyond the screen.
Furthermore, she shared her story about her friend that passed away in May, 2022. He was a soldier who had been serving in the headquarters of the military since 2014. He taught and translated Korean and has even visited Korea for a long extent. Ms. Tohobystka lost another soul “due to Russia.” From another soldier friend to her friend’s husband, she lost people she loved in war.
The deaths still haunt her, and every night she lives under the fear of missiles, drones, and attacks. “I hear news that Russian missiles fly into Ukraine and kill citizens. I am scared. I want a good night’s rest.” Especially civilians who live near the frontlines have to undergo these challenges on a greater scale. Many have fled to other places or found safe shelters underneath. Yet, old couples find it hard to leave their homes, often wanting to stay behind. Other than these cases, the area is mostly occupied by soldiers, who stay on to guard it.
Among the soldiers is Ms. Tohobytska’s younger brother, serving at the age of 37. He lives apart from his family and is training to become a soldier. Although he doesn’t fight directly in the frontlines, “My mother and I worry about him a lot,” Ms. Tohobytska claimed, “because he is my brother.”
“He said he is doing well, but I always check up on him,” remarked Ms. Tohobytska, “I ask him if he has eaten because he is my younger brother, like a child to me.” Throughout the interview, Ms. Tohobytska longed for her brother. She wishes for the day that her brother comes home, once the war is over.
For Ms. Tohobystka, the ‘end of war’ means a Ukrainian victory. Ms. Tohobytska thinks that “if the war ends like this to Russia’s benefit, I think another war will rise.” It has been ten years since Russia invaded the Crimean Peninsula and Donbas region, and now Russia has launched a full-scale invasion. “I believe Russia will never give up. Five or ten years later, they will attack again. So, my biggest dream is victory,” according to Ms. Tohobytska.
She later added on, “But if I could, I would have wished the war had never started. Seeing my brother at home is another dream of mine.”
“It’s been two months, but I really want to see my brother again, if possible as quickly as possible; I really wish he comes back,” she earnestly shared her dream. But other than that, the immediate difficulty she faces is sleep. Ms. Tohobytska hasn’t been able to sleep properly since the beginning of the war in fear of sirens or attacks in the middle of the night.
“I want to sleep, but have lost the ability to.” This lack of rest caused her difficulties in her life. Her simple dream is to sleep well for once.
With an ending note, she wanted to deliver the message, “Please, do not give up on Ukraine. So many people died and sacrificed their lives to secure Ukraine. For their deaths, we cannot give up yet, but fight!”
