ST. PAUL – “It's a tragedy. It's beyond words,” says Amil Shapka, referring to the Russian military’s invasion into Ukraine in the early morning of Feb. 24.
Since the Russian military mobilization began, Ukrainian airports, military bases and major cities along eastern Ukraine, as well as the city of Kyiv have been targeted and shelled.
Following the invasion, all Ukrainian men between the ages of 18 and 60 have been banned from leaving the country, a measure that will continue for as long as the enacted martial law remains in place. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy imposed the law on Thursday morning following the initial multi-border invasion.
And while many Ukrainian citizens have reportedly taken up arms provided by the government, many people have fled to western Ukraine and neighbouring countries.
“I've been in contact with friends there and yeah, I think it's going to take a little while for it to soak in for them,” said Shapka.
Following the Russian invasion, Shapka reached out to friends living in Lviv, a city in western Ukraine.
“Most of them, although they may have expected that, I think they're in disbelief and I think there's a lot of uncertainty because the whole situation is very dynamic and they're not really sure what the endpoint is going to be,” he said
Many of the people there have less information than we do here because we are getting multiple reports from all the international media, said Shapka, acknowledging that most of his information has been from major news outlets too.
And while the Russian media and Western media are reporting different military damages and causality counts - ranging from the hundreds to the thousands - as of Saturday, Ukrainian’s Health Minister Viktor Liashko has reported that 198 civilians and three children have been killed.
“No one can really speculate on what Putin’s intentions are, but I'm sure it's going to be to get rid of the existing country and bring Ukraine under his iron grip,” said Shapka
“We don't realize here that this is not new for them. They have been at war there for eight years. And people have been dying there daily on that Eastern front... The world just kind of ignored it and finally has woken up to it by the severity of what's transpired.”
And while he notes that so far most of the targets have been military focused with most civilians being relatively unaffected by the fighting, he says, “the rubber is about to hit the road because the Ukrainians have been insistent that they are going to defend their sovereignty, and their freedom, and their soil.”
Ukrainians have already been encouraged by their government to defend itself against Russian attacks.
“I am turning to our defenders, male and female, on all fronts: this night the enemy will use all the forces it has to crush our defence in a treacherous, harsh and inhumane way,” said Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, according to reporting by the Kyiv Post.
“At some point, this is going to escalate,” said Shapka. “And again, God only knows what is going to happen at that point... the odds are certainly stacked against them, but they are not going to go down without a fight, and the expectation is that this is not going to be resolved anytime soon.”
While the conflict continues to worsen, the Government of Canada announced measures Saturday to streamline immigration support for Ukrainians.
“Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is taking additional steps to support Ukrainians and people residing in Ukraine, and to make it easier and faster for Canadian citizens, permanent residents and their accompanying immediate family members to return to Canada,” reads a statement on the federal government’s website updated on Feb. 26.
IRCC is also launching a package of new immigration measures focused on Ukrainian citizens.
“IRCC will issue open work permits to Ukrainian visitors, workers and students who are currently in Canada and cannot go home, so they can stay longer if they wish. We will waive fees, retroactive to Feb. 22, 2022, for certain travel and immigration documents, such as Canadian passports, permanent resident travel documents, proofs of citizenship, visitor visas, and work and study permits,” the federal website continued.
Further details on the new measures are expected in the coming weeks as these measures launch.
A written statement by the Canadian government says, “We’ll keep monitoring the situation in Ukraine closely and take steps to support those affected, including by reuniting families in Canada. We’re preparing for all scenarios, including those that may require further immigration measures.”
With a large and active Ukrainian community in Canada, Shapka says, “Everybody's hearts are just broken by this because Ukraine is more than a piece of land – it’s a place in your heart as well.”
“People really want to rally and help but so much of it really is out of our hands,” acknowledged Shapka.
Shapka’s great-grandparents immigrated to Canada with the first wave of Ukrainians in the early 1900s.
Volunteering on local Ukrainian Cultural Societies locally and nationally, the retired St. Paul dentist is very proud of his Ukrainian Canadian identity.
Last week, St. Paul residents wanting to pray for the citizens of the Ukraine and show their support gathered at All Saints Ukrainian Orthodox Church for a prayer service.
Father Peter Haugen invited members of the All Saints parish along with the wider community to the vigil that took place on Feb. 24.
The parish’s bishop, His Grace Ilarion, was travelling home from Ukraine, last week.
Bishop Ilarion presides over Edmonton and the Western Eparchy and is the Locum Tenans of the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada.
In the bishop's absence, no official statements were made on behalf of the church regarding the current situation unfolding in the Ukraine.
“I am just a simple priest, trying to do what I can to offer comfort to the Ukrainians living in and around St. Paul at this difficult and frightening time,” Haugen told Lakeland This Week by email on Thursday.
