Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
‘What has to be the trigger? Are you waiting for us to be deleted?’
A YOUNG Ukranian woman has revealed how her mother called in hysterics as Putin’s bombs rained down on her home city at 5am.
Kateryna Kozlova, from underattack Kherson, held back tears as she retold the horrors her family and pregnant cousin now face at the Green Party NI conference yesterday.
The 21-year-old came to Belfast four months ago for an internship and while she yearns to be with her family in Ukraine, she is also terrified at what she will return to when her visa ends in two months.
Ms Kozlova said while tensions between Russia and Ukraine have existed for years, “the real tragedy of the Ukranian people started on February 24 this year”.
Then just a few days ago, she said she “received a call I will never be able to forget for my entire life”.
“Do you know what Russian soldiers and what Putin did? He took the fascist strategy of starting bombing all over Ukraine at five in the morning.
“One hour – this is what is the difference between Putin and Hitler.
“My mum called me at five in the morning in Ukranian time and it was 3am here – she was terrified, she was in hysteria.
“The town next to my town was bombed to ashes. My mother called me without knowing if we will ever be able to talk again or see each other.
“I was terrified to such an extend that my back and neck were paralysed.
“I have a pregnant cousin back in Ukraine,” she continued.
“She has a seven-year-old daughter and is expecting the second child on the 16th, this month.
“Starting from February 24, she has to be hiding underground with her family and I have a fear she will have to give birth underground.
“Her little daughter, I was talking to her and asked how she’s doing – she told me whenever she feels upset, she goes to the bathroom, cries there so her mother doesn’t see it because her mother is expecting and she doesn’t want her to feel down.
“This is just my family’s story – there are millions of families like that back in Ukraine.
“My city is constantly being bombed because it is in the east.
“None of my family or friends left the country and right now our President is shouting out to all the news, asking ‘please close the sky above Ukraine’.”
Kateryna hit out at what little European and world leaders have done to stop what’s happening.
“So many people are dying what has to be the trigger? Are you waiting for Ukraine to be deleted?” she asked.
“They started bombing maternity homes – 1,600 people died, including women and newborn kids.
“What else has to happen in Ukraine to make European leaders close the sky?
“Please take this action.”
Putin took the facist strategy of starting bombing Ukraine at five in the morning KATERYNA KOZLOVA AT NI GREEN PARTY CONFERENCE