In this historic meeting, over 150 Rotarians and guests joined via Zoom to learn firsthand about the crisis in Ukraine.
Avon-Canton Rotarian Mike Mezheritskiy was born and raised in Kyiv, Ukraine, before arriving in the United States at 18. Mike stays in touch with his family and friends in Kyiv and has connected with Kyiv's Rotary Club over the years. With the war unfolding in Ukraine, Mike coordinated this special meeting with Rotarians experiencing the crisis first hand.
Mike introduced Rostyslav Lukach, and Monika Koclava. Rost has been with Rotary since 2005 and is two times past president of his club in Kyiv and current RC. Monika is based on the Ukrainian border in Slovakia. She is the founding president of the Košice Rotary club in '16-'17, current president-elect, and assisting as a Rotary coordinator for Rotary zone 21A.
Rost zoomed-in from Kyiv. After two weeks of war, he shared that seeing our faces makes it feel as though it was the time just before then.
Rost shared how the invasion has impacted his life. While the war has been happening since 2014, it was relatively contained and not as active. Then, on February 24, 2022 Rost and his wife woke up in the early morning to the sounds of bombs and shooting, not understanding what was happening.
Rost shared his feelings on Putin, commenting that he is twice a terrorist, once for killing civilians and the citizens of Ukraine, and twice for sending young, unprepared, and misinformed Russian men into war.
He showed a video of Rotary efforts providing humanitarian supplies and invited us to support Ukraine h
There are needs for the millions of people seeking refuge from the war crossing into Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia.
Rost invited us two ways to support Ukraine and its quest for freedom
1) Go to their Facebook page to support their needs to transport goods https://www.facebook.com/RotaryInUkraine
2) Support Rotary Foundation that is channeling direct humanitarian support to Ukraine.
Rost finds comfort in the American people who support Ukraine's liberty and independence. He has confidence in the Ukrainian people knowing that they will win as that they will fight for their land, families, and freedom.
From less than 100 miles from the Ukrainian border in Slovakia, Monika shared a presentation on her district's efforts supporting refugees. Unfortunately, the situation is getting worse each day, with temperatures dropping below zero and mothers and babies waiting for support.
The conversation opened back to Rost with questions from the chat and the Avon-Canton Rotary club.
Q: What is daily life like for you and your wife?
Rost commented that he heard active bombing nearby. At first, they would move to shelter, but they have become used to the sound of bombing. He is currently in a suburb of Kyiv to the south, and most of the activity is in the North. Putin has directed his minister to close a circle around Kyiv, but Kyiv has a population between 5-6 million people, with many resisting. Women, small children, and those with disabilities have been moved outside the city, while those who have stay behind have arranged groups, weapons, and barricades to prevent Russians from entering the city. He is sure they will not reach Kyiv.
Q: Do you have enough resources?
His family is a member of the LDS Church. They provide food, water, and fuel. He is equipped to stay and fight for months. All-day Rost volunteers with Rotary because he speaks English can use his skills as a professor to inform the public on what is happening in Ukraine.
Q: Is aid getting to Mariupol?
Putin has surrounded Mariupol, they are not able to get people in or out without getting killed. Rost compared the situation in Mariupol to that of Leningrad during WWII.
Q: Do you have connections with Russian Rotary?
This war started in 2014, when the Russians invaded and occupied parts of Ukraine. Ukrainian Rotarians connected with Russian Rotarians during these first eight years, asking them to stand up for humanitarian values. Some said they stood by the Ukrainians, but it wasn't clear. Now that Putin is saying all Ukrainians should be killed, it is evident this is a humanitarian crisis. The Ukrainian governor recently reached out to the Russian Rotarians, who blocked the Ukrainian governor's communications in response. They have decided to boycott Russian Rotarians because they do not share Rotarian or humanitarian values.
Q: The Russians have surrounded Kyiv to shut down communications and transport. How will supplies get through if this happens? How will our help get to you?
They have well water; they have food and resources. The Russian army lacks planning and strategy. Rost told a story of how the Russians have self-sabotaged their own 4G communication system and how the soldiers are running out of food, abandoning their equipment, and retreating.
God bless the people of Ukraine.
.png)
