'How quickly we begin to appreciate the ordinary': Ukrainians talk surviving Putin's war
It has been more than a month since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, forcing millions of people to flee their homes and leaving cities like Mariupol in ruins.
Thousands have been killed, with thousands more injured.
As Ukrainian forces keep Russian troops at bay outside Kyiv and negotiations start and sputter, what happens next could define the region and global foreign policy for generations.
USA TODAY Opinion is sharing stories of those still in Ukraine and those who have fled.
'How quickly we begin to appreciate what used to seem ordinary'
Konstantin Novikov is a yoga teacher temporarily staying at a friend's apartment in Kyiv with his two cats. He says the capital is safer and more fortified than the suburbs, where his apartment is. Unable to work for money since the invasion began, he has been rescuing local animals and helping neighbors get food and medicine.
April 1
Konstantin is on his way home to Kyiv after spending a few days with his cousin and his family. As he communicated with USA TODAY Opinion using the messaging application Telegram, he says two hours are left before the curfew and he has another 1? hours to drive. If he doesn't make it back by curfew, he will sleep in the car until the morning. It would be dangerous to drive.
"Hey! I went with my cousin for a couple of days to visit his wife and children. Two weeks ago he took them to western Ukraine to a village near the border of Moldova, about 600 kilometers from Kyiv. I felt like I was in another world. We drove through cities and towns where life is going on pretty normal: There are no air raid sirens, everything works, cafes are open, public transport runs fine, there are more products and even alcohol is sold.
How quickly we begin to appreciate what used to seem ordinary."
'Dobroho Ranku' means 'Good Morning'
March 28
Illarion Pavliuk is an author, screenwriter, and producer of more than 10 documentaries and films. He served on the jury for the 2011 Emmy Awards. In 2015, he served as an intelligence volunteer in the war in eastern Ukraine. Illarion has sent us dispatches from Ukraine as he trains citizen volunteers and helps to fortify the city.
"Things are OK. We are in a reinforcement group; there are districts to be patrolled at night in Kyiv."
Illarion Pavliuk's war diary: 'We know that we will fight professionals'
'In Kyiv there are still ordinary products.'
Konstantin Novikov is a yoga teacher in Kyiv. He relocated there from Vyshgorod, a nearby city, because, he says, Kyiv is better fortified. He has been rescuing local animals and helping neighbors get food and medicine since the invasion. Today, he tells us about how life is in the streets of the capital.
March 19
"Today in the morning there was only one (air raid) alarm. There are a few cars out, some people are walking. Some coffee houses have opened. In Kyiv there is still ordinary products: milk, fresh bread, mixed vegetables and fruits. I was lucky that I did not live in Mraiupol. My daughter and my ex-wife are already in Warsaw and on their way to the UK."
I was not OK anymore
March 30
Eniola Oladiti is a third-year medical student at a university in Sumy, Ukraine, and a Nigerian-born Irish citizen. She is one of the hundreds of international students who was stuck in the city for days trying to get home. We asked her what it was like trying to escape. Here are excerpts from what she told us:
"There was an explosion outside my door. There was shelling, there were gunshots. We had a 6 p.m. curfew, and civilians were given guns. Iโm an African woman who lived alone in a two-bedroom apartment on the ground floor. I didnโt feel safe, not just because of war but because of looters. When you give a person guns, you give someone the opportunity to take advantage who may not have the right intentions. After the first day of the war, I moved and spent nine days in a hostel.
And I spent three days trying to get out of Sumy. The train line in the city was cut off. Driving was a massive risk that most people weren't willing to take. Those who were willing to take that risk were charging a fortune. I had friends whose taxi drivers took money, dropped them in the middle of nowhere and told them to find their own way out.
I had a very good relationship with my former landlady. After so much pleading she could tell that I was just not OK anymore, she and her boyfriend, who had just learned to drive, risked their lives to get me out. We started a journey to Poltava (the nearest area with a working train line) that would normally take about three hours at around 8 a.m. We arrived in Poltava at 3:30 p.m. From there, I went to the Zahony border and made my way into Hungary.
I was hearing a lot about racism at the Polish border. I made the decision not to go in that direction. I didnโt really see any racial discrimination at the Hungarian border. I finally made my way from Hungary to Budapest and then to Ireland, where I was reunited with my family.
I didnโt think that the journey was actually going to happen until we started. I was trying not to get my hopes up too high. I was sleeping in my shoes and street clothes so that I could run to bomb shelters at any moment. I was jumping at the sound of doors closing shut. I was filled with anxiety."
'Peace without victory means the war will come back.'
March 16
Illarion Pavliuk is an author, screenwriter, and producer of over ten documentaries and films, and served as a member of the jury for the 2011 Emmy Awards. In 2015, he served as an intelligence volunteer in the war in eastern Ukraine. Illarion has been sending us dispatches from Ukraine as he trains citizen volunteers and helps to fortify the city. We asked him what he thought about what President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said to Congress.
"The address was great. The only problem was that he said 'I have to bring peace' instead of 'I have to bring victory.' Peace without victory means the war will come back."
'We need helmets; some kids have reached a hospital in Spain'
March 12
Roman Romanov, a freelance journalist from Chernihiv, Ukraine, has been corresponding with USA TODAY Opinion since Feb. 27. Chernihiv was hit hard by Russian missiles. His friend, Serhiy Zosimenko, has a local charity (EVUM) that supports families with children receiving cancer treatment. Romanov has been volunteering with Zosimenko and the kids since the war began. This Saturday, he writes about the supplies they are collecting in the western city of Lviv, as well as sends photos of some of the kids who have safely reached a hospital in Madrid, Spain, where they are again receiving treatment.
"We need helmets and bulletproof (things) for our militaries and territorial defense. We need medicines and fuel for our cars to evacuate people and children who we left behind in Chernihiv. The city is under siege and there is bombing by Russian airstrikes every day. ... Some kids have reached Madrid, Spain. They are now receiving treatment at the Hospital del Nino Jesus in Madrid."
'I am still doing my yoga videos online. I hope it helps someone in Ukraine.'
Konstantin Novikov is a yoga teacher living outside of Kyiv. He has been rescuing local animals and helping neighbors get food and medicine since the invasion.
March 9
"It was my birthday last week. I filmed a yoga course and uploaded it to my YouTube channel. I have made them free for now โ I hope it helps someone. There are 21 so far. I need to work online. Money will become a problem for me soon. We buy food for people, feed homeless dogs and cats that people left behind. Every day there is less food. ... I have made an Airbnb because I heard about what they are doing for people in Ukraine. People can stay if they want! There was a lot of shooting today. Before the war, I could not imagine many things: I watch videos of dead Russian soldiers and I like it ... with every day there are more civilian victims."
'The kids are finally in Italy receiving treatment at a hospital'
March 9
Roman Romanov, a freelance journalist from Chernihiv, Ukraine, has been corresponding with USA TODAY Opinion since Feb. 27th. Chernihiv was hit hard by Russian missiles. His friend, Serhiy Zosimenko, has a local charity (EVUM) that supports families with children receiving cancer treatment. Romanov has been volunteering with Zosimenko and the kids since the war began. Today, he writes the kids have safely reached a hospital in Italy where they are again receiving treatment.
'The kids were successfully evacuated by train to Lviv'
March 7
Roman Romanov, a freelance journalist in Chernihiv, Ukraine, has been corresponding with USA TODAY Opinion since Feb. 27th. Chernihiv has been heavily hit by Russian missiles. His friend, Serhiy Zosimenko, has a local charity that supports families with children receiving cancer treatment. Romanov has been volunteering with Zosimenko and the kids since the war began. Today, he reports that they are finally being evacuated.
"Hi, I'm OK. Me and Serhiy's family are going to Lviv (in western Ukraine) by car, now. The kids were successfully evacuated by train to Lviv today."
'We're in Berlin with my sister.'
March 5
Rita Zenchuk is a civil servant working in the Ukrainian department of energy. She was living in western Ukraine but has fled the country with her four children (18, 14, 12, and 10). She tells me that her children's father has joined the army, and that they are now in Berlin with her sister, after traveling through Hungary and the Czech Republic.
"The oldest one, Yara, sleeps in the bed with my sister in the bedroom. My sister fundraised money from her German friends, plus donations from Ukranian businesses to purchase thermal night vision devices, walkie talkies, flash lights, etc. Yesterday (March 4) 15 vans left from Berlin to Poland."
Rita sends photos of their journey from Ukraine, through Hungary and the Czech Republic. She says in her Telegram message, "The Hungarian and Czech volunteers are the best."
'I want Putin to die...'
March 3
Roman Romanov, a freelance journalist in Chernihiv, Ukraine, has been corresponding with USA TODAY Opinion since Feb. 27th. Today, he sends photos of Chernihiv which has been heavily targeted by Russian attacks on civilian buildings.
If he is unable to get the kids at the city's children's hospital airlifted out, there is a significant possibility they will be targeted by Russian missiles, next.
"Missiles targeted civilian buildings 700 meters (760 yards) from the children's hospital two hours ago.
I want Putin to die like the people in those houses died."
'Their father joined the army.'
Rita Zenchuk is a civil servant working in the Ukrainian department of energy. She was living in western Ukraine but has now decided to leave the country with her four children (18, 14, 12, and 10). She tells me that her kids' father has joined the army and that he had done the same back in 2014 but was wounded and decommissioned.
March 3
"I decided to bring my kids to Berlin to my sister since now they are very stressed and worried. Yaryna, my 18-year-old says she'll go back. She was volunteering and really enjoyed our crowded dinners. We easily passed the Ukranian-Hungarian border in 40 minutes. After stories of staying 60 hours at the border. It was easy and fast. Right away we were put on a bus and taken to the local school. I would like to praise the local volunteers. They gave us shelter and food right away!"
'Life inside our hospital'
Roman Romanov, a freelance journalist in Chernihiv, Ukraine, has been corresponding with USA TODAY Opinion since Feb. 27th. He sends photos of the oncology ward, and the bomb shelter, at the city's children's hospital.
Roman's friend, Serhiy Zosimenko, has a local charity that supports families with children receiving treatment for their cancer. Serhiy has sent us moving, emotional audio recordings saying they need to get the kids airlifted out of the hospital, and that he will die defending these children if he has to. It is his friends, he says, that are getting him through it.
March 1
Morning! I slept at home (last night). I just woke up hearing tanks shooting. It was silent during the night. ... Here are some pictures of life inside our hospital, and the bomb shelter."
'People are determined to resist'
March 1
Rita Zenchuck is a civil servant living in the city of Ivano-Frankivsk in western Ukraine. Refugees are arriving, and friends and family are fleeing from other parts of the country.
"We're safe. There were only two city-wide sirens yesterday, but no rockets fired. My relatives left home to central Ukraine, a town of Uman (it's a pilgrimage center for Hasidic Jews). They said they can't stay there, they'd rather help those at home. My sister tells me that when she returned all the hotels were filled with people from Odessa and Mykolayiv. Another cousin took her mother and daughter to the Hungarian border, where her friend was waiting to take them to Poland. Now, she and her husband are on their way to Uman, as well. People are determined to resist."
'It's been really hard but we are still alive and we stand strong with Ukraine'
Feb. 28
Roman Romanov is a freelance writer and journalist in the city of Chernihiv, which was shelled hard by Russian troops over the past two days. Chernihiv is about 80 miles northeast of Kyiv.
Romanov is volunteering to care for hospitalized children with his friend's NGO, EVUM, which helps kids with low resources.
"I took my bicycle around the city to look at it (with) my (own) eyes for about 1-2 hours in the morning, today. It's been really hard but we are still alive and we stand strong with Ukraine. The kids are fine. They have been in the shelter the whole time. Last night Russian missiles targeted two civilian objectives in the center of the city (Chernihiv): the movie theater and the a children's dentistry. Today, the missile hit a supermarket and it was burning near civilian buildings."
'With the latest about Putin's statement, it's really scary'
Feb. 27
Rita Zenchuck is a civil servant living in the city of Ivano-Frankivsk in western Ukraine. Now, her city prepares for attacks.
" ... There's so many videos (circulating) showing how, with their bare hands, locals in villages fight back. With the latest about Putin's statement (about nuclear weapons) it's really scary. So, making jokes makes it possible to pass information through. It's been calm here, but the city is getting ready for the possible attacks."
'If we need to we will die here'
Feb. 27
Serhiy Zosimenko is the head of NGO, EVUM and sent this to USA TODAY Opinion while working to protect sick children.
NOTE: This section has been updated to correctly identify Serhiy Zosimenko
"We are working with kids with cancer ... in Chernihiv City. So, right now we have 18 kids. They are all with their moms. We have about eight people on staff in hematology and actually we need to evacuate kids from here because supplies of drugs and food are only going to last us four to seven days.
USA TODAY Opinion Louie ยท Roman Romanov is a freelance journalist in Chernihiv, in Northern Ukraine
We can only evacuate kids by air but we don't control the air (space) and we can't use cars or buses because we don't have green road to Kyiv, and there is a battle in Kyiv. And actually we have been invited to hospitals in Poland and Lviv (in western Ukraine) but we need helicopters. So, until our forces control the airspace we can't evacuate kids from here.
That is why we and my friends, volunteers, doctors all the staff here at the hospital โwe're working to protect them. We are searching for supplies: Food, drugs, everything. We have a shelter under the hospital. In the shelter there are about 30 to 40 people every day, and we care for them, too. They come to us from the nearest buildings that don't have shelters. We also care for the kids, we feed them. It is very hard for us when we have the sirens of an air attack or bomb attack. Kids who get medical care have to run with their moms to the shelter.
[At this point his voice begins to crack as he attempts to hold back a sob.]
We are a little bit tired, but we are all very angry. We decided to, whatever it costs, protect our kids. [Muffled sobs] And if we need to we will die here.
Here, all of my friends are now helping me. And, they're the best. [chokes back a sob]
My priority is to protect the kids whatever the cost and we will stay here as long as we can until the airways open and we can relocate the kids from here.
'It's chaotic right now'
Feb. 27
Rita Zenchuck is a civil servant living in the city of Ivano-Frankivsk in western Ukraine. She sent her kids to stay with her grandparents in a safer part of the country.
"We have quite a few self-organized initiatives, as well a municipal initiative that provides means for internal refugees as well as local guards. For instance, right now there's a request for sleeping bags. I have multiple requests to transport people from Kyiv and that is difficult to handle. So, I would say there is a need for steady transport. It's chaotic right now."
'In the modern world, information is the most important weapon'
Feb. 26
Konstantin Novikova, a yoga teacher living outside of Kyiv, after the first night of a Russian assault on Kyiv
I understand how important it is now to cover everything that is actually happening. Thanks to our military, we are already holding out for the third day. The people are united like never before.
Today I caught myself thinking that I donโt know what day of the week and date it is. Today is the third day, just the third since the beginning of the war. The war is not somewhere but throughout the country, the Russians managed to make people feel unsafe in all corners of the country
I won't be able to leave for the next few days. They've imposed a curfew, civilians are forbidden to leave their homes and travel. This is a very correct step, so it will be easier for our troops to identify saboteurs on the street, and there will be fewer victims. So, I'll hide here if I have to.
I just got an air raid alert โ thanks to the notification system, information comes quickly. I'm going to the bomb shelter.
'I sent my kids to stay with my parents'
Feb. 26
Rita Zenchuk is a civil servant who lives with her husband and kids in Ivano-Frankivsk, a city in western Ukraine
"At the moment I have ten people in my apartment from Uman, my relatives from central Ukraine and my colleagues from Kyiv who are a family of two with a cat. I sent my kids to Lviv in western Ukraine with my parents.
We are more safe than the rest of the country but on the first day they bombed our airport and yesterday there were sirens, we went to the bomb shelter. Nothing happened.
"There's a lot of self-organized groups of volunteers helping to place internal refugees, providing necessary means for local guards."
'A rocket hit a residential building'
Feb. 26
Konstantin Novikova, a yoga teacher living outside of Kyiv, after the first night of a Russian assault on Kyiv
"(I)n my area it is quiet, volleys were constantly heard at night and now during the day. In Kyiv, a rocket hit a residential building, where people spend the night in the subway and bomb shelters."
'It is at its worst tonight'
Feb. 25
Konstantin Novikov is a yoga teacher living outside of Kyiv
"They just started shooting. It's scary, you don't know where it's going to go.
10 min ago there was a lot (of shooting); many rockets . It's silent now, and we are waiting. We will go down with a neighbor to the entrance to the first floor and we will sit there. It seems safer."
...
"I have my car downstairs full of gas. I put my documents, money and some stuff in a little bag. In any moment i can take my bags, my cats, and run away if it is too scary to stay. ... Maybe I will go to the center of Ukraine. Somewhere where it is more safe. Mostly people are going to western Ukraine like Lviv. But right now I can only go through Kyiv because it is blocked any other way. Either by Russian troops on one side, or (on another road) the bridge was blown up to keep Russian troops from going over the road to Kyiv. So, I have only one way out from my city."
'I woke up ... from the sound of air sirens'
Feb. 24
Karina Zaiets is a graphics reporter at USA TODAY
"I woke up in my hotel in Lviv, Ukraine, at 7:50 from the sound of air sirens and I went downstairs, and I asked the hotel staff (about it). But I was told that itโs probably training because nobody said anything.
And so I went outside and there was a message translating throughout the city that you need to seek shelter, help the elderly and stock up on food and water, but also stay calm. But a lot of people were walking on the streets. โฆ They seemed calm and some of them had backpacks with them. There were also huge lines near ATMs of people waiting to withdraw cash and big lines near pharmacies as well. A lot of people were in COVID-19 centers โฆ maybe because Poland and other neighboring countries require a COVID-19 test to enter.
I saw a lot of cars โฆ in line waiting to get fuel at gas stations as well. People in western Ukraine didnโt believe that Russian military would get there. And the people that I talked to they remained really calm. But also when I went online trying to buy tickets for the train, at one moment there were available tickets and the next moment there were no tickets at all. And the same was with buses. There were no tickets available for buses departing in the next few hours.
On the Polish border they let us in without checking even like vaccines or tests but with thoroughly searching our car. And I saw military equipment at the border crossing."
'We are in this massive information war'
Feb. 24
Joe Lindsley is editor of LvivNow.com and LvivLab.com in Ukraine
โWe are in this massive information war, earlier today all the news seemed so negative โฆ everything that was presented was oh โฆ 15 casualties, and planes getting shot โฆwithout the precision saying that some of those casualties were Russian for example. And now, I have a growing team of Ukrainians who said we gotta do something tonight, and we are digging through Ukrainian telegram, which is where citizens are sharing the truth of what they see on the ground.
Theyโre sharing reports of Russians protesting in Russian cities who are getting rounded up by the police, theyโre protesting abandoned Russian military equipment in some towns as well as difficult and negative moments. And our mission now is to translate these into English. โฆ This is what we have to do and this is what weโre going to share with the world. Weโre working with a few television stations to really share this message.โ
'The Russian military is coming closer'
Feb. 24
Terrell Jermaine Starr of the Atlantic Council from Kyiv
USA TODAY News ยท Atlantic Council's Terrell Jermaine Starr on what's going on in Ukraine
"There are a mass exodus leaving the city in addition to the long queues at the ATMs. Itโs hard to really withdraw money, people are figuring out ways to get their families to safety, people are seeking shelter in metro stations and at the moment I feel that there is a little bit of nervousness going on right here because the Russian military is coming closer the city. But people are relatively calm all things considered so people are tense but itโs not chaotic."
'People are scared of wars'
Feb. 24
Oleksiy Honcharuk, former prime minister of Ukraine and a distinguished fellow at the Atlantic Council.
USA TODAY News ยท Former Ukrainian Prime Minster Oleksiy Honcharuk Russia's invasion
"The situation in Kyiv is very complicated. ... People are scared of wars but I donโt see panic. A lot of people are trying to make sure that their families and children are in a safe place. But a lot of people just showing that theyโre ready for fight for land, and to be a part of territorial defense forces."
'I have nowhere to go'
Feb. 24
The author of this entry, who is originally from Donetsk and now lives elsewhere in Ukraine, is not being named. The person fears for the safety of family members.
"I woke up about 6 a.m. and my American friends were calling me from the states because they read the news. There it was Wednesday night, but here it was Thursday early morning. Also, I heard people being quite loud. I think they were packing to leave.
I went out this morning to check the area (in the outskirts of Kyiv). I also needed to buy some bread. I saw people putting suitcases in their cars and leaving as people leave Kyiv to stay with family outside the city.
I was going to enter a grocery store, and I saw people were standing right in front of the entrance. I realized that was the line, so I can't just go in and buy bread. So I went to another shop. It was closed. And then another shop. It was also closed. So I decided to just go back home.
Everyone was talking on the phone, even me. I was talking to my mom. Some people were crying. I was quite calm in the morning because it was not that dangerous, but then during the day, news broadcasts showed more and more areas invaded. In the morning, everyone was just scared of what was going to happen. Now everyone is scared of what is happening right now and what is possibly happening.
I'm staying calm as much as I can, not to panic, but the further it goes, the more difficult it is. I follow the news and see region by region the Russians invade us, and currently they are fighting for Chernobyl. That's a huge danger and threat for everyone.
I have nowhere to go. I don't want to go, and also I have nowhere to go. Donetsk was my home. I left there. Now that this is my home, I can't leave it because I have nowhere to go. Also, because I'm Ukrainian I cannot leave right now. That's not what I think Ukrainians should do."
'Doomed optimism'
Feb. 23
Romeo Kokriatski is a New Yorker who returned to his native Ukraine after the Euromaidan. He is a journalist and the co-host and founder of the independent podcast Ukraine Without Hype. Follow him at @VagrantJourno.
"Whatโs the right way to cope with the creeping realization that everything you love, you hold dear, maybe laid to waste by bombs and artillery fire overnight? Ukrainians have dealt with the possibility in their own way โ calm, mostly, a sense of 'doomed optimism,' as one commentator put it.
Now that Putin has all but declared war against Ukraine โ and Ukrainians are holding their breath to see if he takes that further step โ the mood has begun to shift, even if slightly. While life continues normally โ shopping, work, cafes โ conversations revolve entirely around the war, whether or not Putin will truly attack Kyiv."
'Impatient for this to be over'
Feb. 23
Joe Lindsley is editor of LvivNow.com and LvivLab.com in Ukraine
If anything, a good number of Ukrainians are impatient for this to be over, even if they have to fight, because the longer the fake war of threats drags out the more it harms Ukraineโs reputation, business and tourism prospects. Read more: 'This is our country'
Why have things changed so rapidly?
Feb. 22
The author of this entry, who is originally from Donetsk and now lives elsewhere in Ukraine, is not being named. The person fears for the safety of family members.
"I spent happy childhood years and had a lighthearted adolescence in my hometown of Donetsk, Ukraine. Back then, I had no intention of leaving the city where I was born. But that choice was made for me, as I am a Ukrainian citizen. I couldn't stay in an occupied territory when the war started in 2014. I witnessed many scary episodes while I was leaving the city and returning to visit friends and family members who couldn't leave.
What happens next?: Russian troops invaded Ukraine. Sanctions are in place.
Every day, I was waking up with the hope that maybe today was the day when I could finally pack and return home. But, unfortunately, it didn't happen, and due to Russia's recognition of Donetsk and Luhansk's self-proclaimed independence as people's republics, I don't think it will.
My family and friends in Donetsk are shocked and can't predict what will happen even in the next few hours. They are staying at their houses and not taking any extra risks. They know local media has celebrated the Russian support, and local authorities have made men join the military separatists, so it's extremely unsafe for men to walk outside. They are puzzled about why everything started changing so rapidly after eight years.
The situation is changing quite rapidly. The least we can do right now is not panic and hope for the better. But it feels like the last chances of internally displaced Ukrainian citizens like me have been missed."
'People are scared and concerned'
Feb. 22
Dr. Roman Sheremeta is an associate professor of economics at Case Western Reserve University and the founder of the soon-to-open American University in Kyiv. He offered thoughts on Tuesday just before President Joe Biden announced a new wave of sanctions against Russia.
"I recently moved to Kyiv from the United States to lead American University Kyiv (AUK) as a founding rector. At the time of my decision, I did not expect that Ukraine would be on the brink of war with Russia.
People are scared and concerned about what will happen tomorrow. By entering eastern Ukraine, Russia officially became the aggressor and declared war on Ukraine. They have deceived the whole world and the world does not seem to care enough.
People are afraid because Russia completely disregarded all international agreements, including the Minsk agreements. One of my faculty who is planning to relocate to Kyiv from eastern Ukraine wrote to me today: 'I was literally waiting for a missile to come. Thirty-seven kilometers from the border is kind of scary. Anyways, I am ready to go on. No matter what.' โ
What life in Ukraine has been like?
Feb. 2
Iryna Manzholenko works as a military interpreter. She wrote in early February about living in Kyiv as tensions started to escalate in the region.
"The more I started digging into the situation, the more my concerns grew. The rate of escalation on the border seemed to be so steady that I started wondering whether it may be more than just an intimidation game. And it kept piling on: military friends talking about possible directions of invasion, American exchange students and friends putting their plans in Ukraine on hold and moving out of the country, videos about preparation for possible military actions, and international friends wondering whether I was OK and asking about my backup plan.
Backup plan? Why would I have one of those?
Then I gave it a second thought and began to work out when and how I would react.
But I do not plan to leave my country."
Contributing: Steven Porter, Carli Pierson, Kelsey Bloom, Theresa Olohan, Thuan Le Elston, Eileen Rivers.
You can read diverse opinions from our Board of Contributors and other writers on the Opinion front page, on Twitter @usatodayopinion and in our daily Opinion newsletter. To respond to a column, submit a comment to [email protected].
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Russia invades Ukraine: These are the voices from the war