SAN ANTONIO — Olena Tsalyk’s home country of Ukraine remains on the brink of war as tensions escalate with Russia. Her 9-year-old son longs for the day when he can see his grandmother in person once again.
But, there are ongoing concerns of a Russian invasion in the coming days, as indicated by recent U.S. intelligence and actions by the Kremlin.
“They’re (Russia) looking for a reason to start a full invasion at this moment,” Tsalyk said.
On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered troops into separatist-held areas of Ukraine as part of what he deems a “peacekeeping” mission. This action comes hours after he declared the Russian-backed regions of Ukraine as standing independent.
The Donbas area of Ukraine has been a hotbed of violence for the past eight years following Russia’s takeover of Crimea.
President Joe Biden expressed openness to meet with Putin under the condition he decides not to invade.
The window for diplomacy is narrowing as U.S. intelligence indicates Russian military commanders have received orders to proceed with an invasion.
Meanwhile, Tsalyk is maintaining regular contact with family and friends in Ukraine. One of her friends has been impacted by the effects of the shelling occurring in the Donbas region. Tsalyk offered money to her friend, but there’s essentially no use at the moment due to several basic services affected by the ongoing conflict.
“All transportation in Donbas stopped. No food, no water, no nothing,” Tsalyk said.
The capital city of Kyiv is where Tsalyk’s mother lives. There remains a sense of urgency and patriotism among civilians, many of whom are ready to defend their country if Russia invades.
“The majority of people, they’re not going anywhere, it’s their home. They want to protect their home, they want to fight,” Tsalyk said.
The non-profit organization Ukrainian San Antonio aims to educate the community about Ukraine’s history and culture through interactive events.
Tsalyk, one of the group’s founding members, explained how it’s vital for Americans to understand the importance of what is happening in Ukraine and Russia.
The organization recently held a demonstration downtown San Antonio to spread a message of peace by standing behind Ukraine amid the rising tensions.
The worry of war is one Tsalyk said her son Albert shouldn’t have to concern himself with. However, it’s a possibility he hopes doesn’t become a reality.
“Imagine just your loved ones dying, taken away. All I know is I hope this doesn’t start the next world war because I’m not ready," Albert said.
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