In the two weeks since Russian president Vladimir Putin’s unprovoked invasion, more than two million people have fled Ukraine. Thousands are believed dead in the conflict so far, according to reporting by the Associated Press, though an exact human toll remains unclear.
The impact is being felt in far away Utah where a “small but vibrant” Ukrainian community is trying to stay in close contact with loved ones back home, when possible.
“You can’t really ask them ‘are you Ok?’ because nobody is — and so you just try to encourage them as best you can,” says Yulia Holko, whose family in Ukraine splits their time between their apartment and a bomb shelter.
The invasion has also inspired a number of Utahns to volunteer to fight for Ukraine — a country most have never even visited.
“Giving my support, I know that my family is safe — I don’t have to worry about that,” says a Utahn volunteering to fight alongside Ukrainian soldiers.
“But what about the people over there?”
Today on “In the Hive,” Utah standing with Ukraine in wartime.
Guests:
Anna Baryshok
Yulia Holko
Sergei Kovalov
Maryna Storrs
“PS,” a Utah man volunteering to fight in Ukraine
Jonathan Freedman, Honorary Consul of Ukraine in Utah
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