Buffalo’s Ukrainian community reflects on war with Russia as it enters 3rd year
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — As it approaches the third-year mark of the Russia-Ukraine war, many people throughout Western New York who have family and friends in Ukraine spent the weekend reflecting on the past few years.
“For us, it’s constant worry, constant consumption of information. Every day you open up the paper and there’s more bad news,” said Emil Bandriwsky, the president of the Dnipro Ukrainian Cultural Center on Genesee Street.
Alexandra Savka-Szeglowski, who is from Ukraine and has been living in Buffalo for 30 years, described the last three years as extremely difficult, adding that the war continues to affect their lives.
“Just a couple minutes ago I talked to my brother, my cousins in the army,” she said. “It’s very difficult to understand why innocent people are dying.”
The Ukrainian community in Buffalo is still praying for an end to the war with Russia.
This upcoming week, community leaders are traveling to Washington, D.C., to meet members of Congress and try to help put an end to the fighting.
“We really want our people to share their concern and contact their congressmen and support them and say that the war is not over and it’s in America’s best interest to support Ukraine,” Bandriwsky said.
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Sarah Minkewicz is an Emmy-nominated reporter and Buffalo native who has been a part of the News 4 team since 2019. Follow Sarah on Twitter @SarahMinkewicz and click here to see more of her work.
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