It has been seven months, almost to the day, since the Russian Invasion of Ukraine. As time passes, we receive fewer updates on the war and Ukrainian military efforts. But no matter how little we see, there is still a fight for justice happening moment by moment five thousand miles away.
On Sept. 12, day two-hundred-one of the invasion, Maia Mikhaluk, whose son Danny attends Asbury, addressed our community and graciously agreed to be interviewed. Mikhaluk lives in Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital, and has been there since the initial invasion on February 24. She reflected on the past seven months, how it began, what has taken place, and where we are now.
When asked about the proper terminology surrounding the conflict, Mikhaluk emphasized the importance of calling it what it is – a war. She explained, saying, “we cringe when people say situation or crisis. Russians avoid using the phrase war – but this is not conflict. Not crisis. It’s war.” Further, the phrase “The War on Ukraine” can victimize Ukrainians when their military is actually making strides forward. The most accurate and respectful terminology is “Russo-Ukrainian War” and “Russian Invasion.”
Mikhaluk also pointed out that many people aren’t aware that the war has been occurring for far more than seven months. Russia first occupied two areas of Ukraine eight years ago, and there has been a draft in Ukraine since. The war began long before the invasion of Russia on all borders in February.
Many westerners, according to Mikhaluk, lack clarity on the reasoning for the tension between Russia and Ukraine. Since their independence in 1991, there has been a continual attack on Ukraine’s identity as an independent nation. Russia, since the collapse of the Soviet Union, has pushed to expand its land and dominion in any way that it can. “I think, for the most part, it is a petition for more personal power,” Mikhaluk said. “Russia’s excuse for this war has been changing… But it is [Putin’s] personal ambition first of all. They don’t need more land or more resources – it’s all about power.” Not only that, but Mikhaluk tells us there is speculation that Putin hoped to completely control Ukraine by December of this year, as it is the hundredth year since the establishment of The Soviet Union. She says that this is clearly about “the feeling of power and conquering.”
“Every time they fail to fight our military, they resort to terror,” Mikhaluk said. She tells us that each time the Ukrainian army makes positive advancements, Russia falls back on one strategy: fear. They bomb residences, offices, and even hospitals simply to make Ukrainians afraid. On Ukrainian Independence Day, there were a total of one hundred eighty-nine air raids, to send a message of intimidation. But this is not distracting the people from one simple fact: Ukraine is pushing forward. “The status is changing a lot right now,” Mikhaluk said. “The first few months the north was occupied, and Kyiv was under attack… The northeast was freed in the last week. Our army is on the counter offensive in the south as well. The Russians are slowly being pushed out.”
There are still many threats hanging over the heads of the Ukrainian people. There is an impending energy crisis and the ongoing shelter crisis for the internally displaced. Air raids are still happening day and night. “It’s going to be a hard winter,” Mikhaluk said. But hope is on the rise. With Ukrainian military advances, the people are rejoicing. “As of now – Russia is looking to cease fire,” Mikhaluk said, but “Ukraine needs to keep moving with the momentum we have.” There is further to go, but according to Mikhaluk, the overall attitude is one of liberation and victory for Ukraine.
As the war continues, updates can be found daily on Mikhaluk’s Facebook page (Maia Mikhaluk).