Ukrainians in Omagh hold war anniversary vigil

AS Ukrainian refugees and local supporters gathered in Omagh on Saturday for a vigil to mark the second anniversary of the Russian invasion, two women spoke of the horrors they have endured amid the ongoing plight of their native country.

Natalia Kucherenko and Yuliia Fuzova moved to Omagh in 2022 to escape the ongoing conflict.

With the help of local refugee support group ERANO, they have been learning to speak English and settling into a more peaceful life in the North, but still harbour immense concern for the people of Ukraine as the vicious war continues.

Natalia said it has been ten years since Russia first occupied the region of Donbas, where she grew up.

“In 2014 I had to move to Crimea,” she said.

“Then two years ago, Russia launched a full-scale war on Ukraine and destroyed many of our cities from all directions.”

‘SHOCKED’

Natalia recalls waking up at 5am as Russia launched an attack on her home.

“Our children were sleeping and we had to wake them up and tell them that the war had begun.

“We were so shocked and, in a panic, we had to make the decision to leave our home.

“We couldn’t believe it.”

Natalia said that she, and many others who have had to flee Ukraine, are determined to do what they have to do to support their soldiers and save their country.

She said, “We want to do anything to keep the attention that the war is ongoing and hasn’t stopped.

“Many Ukrainian people believe that Russia has bigger ambitions beyond Ukraine, so we have to try and stop this war. We worry for the rest of Europe.

“Ukraine is fighting for peace and won’t be stopped.”

Natalia’s parents, who are aged 72 and 73, are still living in Ukraine in Russian-occupied territory.

She said, “They’re old and it’s not easy for them to leave because of how dangerous it is. I worry for them constantly.

“They can’t leave, and they are living in an area with no laws and it is extremely dangerous to go outside, but they love Ukraine, it’s where they grew up, and at their age they don’t want to leave.”

Natalia said that people who want to leave simply can’t due to the Russian occupation.

“They are taking people’s Ukrainian passports and forcing them to change them to Russian passports in order to receive pensions, keep their homes and various other things like that.

“There is no choice and no way out. They are essentially hostages in their own country.”

Yuliia Fuzova came to Northern Ireland in 2022 from the city of Kherson.

STRUGGLING

Kherson was occupied by Russia in March 2022, and despite being liberated in November 2022, she says that people there are still struggling due to Russian occupation in surrounding areas.

Yuliia explained how several thousand people stopped Russian army tanks from entering the city.

“All these people were ordinary civilians, but in great numbers they managed to stop them.”

In June 2023, the Kakhovka Dam in Kherson was seized by the Russian army and destroyed, causing devastating floods in the city.

Recalling the horrific attacks, Yullia said she was devastated to see images on the news of such brutal destruction.

She continued, “A lot of people died because they were unable to make their ways to rooftops to be rescued.

“People were sitting on the roofs of their houses for several days and while it was the summertime, it was still cold in the night, and they had no water.

“Many disabled people, elderly people and animals couldn’t make their way to high enough grounds and tragically and unnecessarily died in the floods.”

Yuliia then explained, “My parents and grandmother are still there.

“All this time, my parents have been unable to leave their home, only to go to a nearby shop.

“They cannot travel too far because there are armed Russian soldiers surrounding the city, so to go anywhere else is to risk death.

“Despite Kherson being a symbol of liberty, people are still being killed every day.”

DESTROYED

Yuliia said that many small towns in Ukraine have now been destroyed by the Russian Army, forcing people to live in densely-populated areas.

“Civilians in the city are struggling because of the dense population.

“Too many people have died as Russia attacks these highly-populated areas, killing people who are at their most desperate,” she explained.

“They are also destroying our schools, hospitals and other large infrastructures in an attempt to demoralise people.

“But after every fight, Ukrainians will not give up!

“But our army need weapons to defend itself, our country, and the rest of Europe before things get any worse.”

An emotional Yuliia then presented a photograph showing a message that had been spray-painted on a wall in Ukraine.

The message echoed both the desperation and determination of their fight.

It read, ‘We are not asking too much. We just need an artillery, shells and aviation. The rest, we do ourselves. Armed Forces of Ukraine’.