Overseas Conflict Hits Home

The Russian invasion of Ukraine, which began at the end of February, has drawn the gaze of the entire world. The seemingly unprovoked invasion brought Russian boots, tanks and missiles onto Ukrainian soil. Russia faces a barrage of sanctions from multiple countries including Switzerland, France, Canada and the United States. For one DSC student, though, this invasion isn’t just world news, it directly affects his family.

Kyrylo Onishchenko, a 19-year-old student of Daytona State’s Quanta-Honors College, was born in Ukraine. He came to the U.S. five years ago with his mother to finish high school and attend college. However, his father and sister remain in Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital city. While his sister remains in a basement near the epicenter of the conflict, his father is in a separate part of the city.

“Last time I contacted her she told me almost all of the houses are destroyed around her neighborhood,” Onishchenko said, speaking to the desperate nature of his sister’s current situation. “She doesn’t have electricity and she told me they’re [down to] the last bag of potatoes.” Onishchenko’s sister is sparsely able to contact their father, due to the lack of cell-phone reception in the basement, as well as the need to conserve battery life as much as possible.

Despite the calamitous situation his home country is facing, Onishchenko is hopeful the conflict will come to a swift and peaceful end, and appreciates the support of Ukrainians, as well as others, around the world. “All they can do is sit there and wait,” he said of the people still in the country. “I feel like the most [important] part is that we can make a difference here,” he said, referring to peaceful demonstrations happening locally, specifically in Flagler County.

Onishchenko said he’s “trying not to look at the news for now” and that he “still needs to live his life,” which seems like a common theme among the Ukrainian people. Videos show people in Kyiv, as well as other cities in Ukraine, playing instruments and singing in the street, despite the invasion happening around them.

Onishchenko also believes an important contributing factor to the overall spirits of the Ukrainian people remaining strong during the conflict is the leadership of their president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Onishchenko said of Zelenskyy, “If people see [a] strong leader, people believe in him, and people believe in themselves.” Onishchenko expressed his support for the Ukrainian government in these dire times, admiring their trust in the people.

“I hope for the end of the war,” Onishchenko added. “Pray for Ukraine.”

Tim Blalock is InMotion’s editor-in-chief.