Oksana Lemminkäinen, who played in her career in LP Post, says that she did not believe that Russia would start a war against Ukraine. LP Message from Ukrainian Passenger Viktor Tuchashvili hopes the war will end soon.
– Finns have written a lot. I am really grateful to everyone who has posted and asked how I can. It’s hard to be in a different country and can’t help it in any way. If my relatives don’t answer the phone, it starts to get excited right away, the former top volleyball player who also played in the LP Oksana Lemminkäinen (os. Pasternak) says.
Oksana Lemminkäinen, a Ukrainian who played in the LP in 2008–2010, woke up in disbelief on Thursday. Neither he nor his relatives believed that Russia would attack Ukraine.
– I immediately called everyone and asked what had happened and where. It was a hard day. Shook and I couldn’t eat.
– I kept telling everyone that it was just a political game. I didn’t believe it, nor did my relatives.
Lemminkäinen lives in Finland with her husband Tomi Lemminkäinen with. Her sister lives in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. The mother also lives in Ukraine with her husband.
– There was an explosion in the morning, a shot had been shot next to it. My sister had gathered the children and taken them to the basement.
– I’ve been crying all along. Now I am a little calmed down when I have talked to my mother’s man and he has explained everything that is going on there. My sister’s family is still in Kiev and more have been shot there, Oksana Lemminkäinen says.
Lemminkäinen has slept poorly and the food does not taste good. He has tried to stay strong because of his two children.
– Of course the children know and listen to Finnish channels, but I don’t want them to see me crying or being panicked.
“People don’t understand what happened there”
Lemminkäinen has followed the events closely. It has been horrible to read online comments about him spreading incorrect information.
– One girl in shock cried and put a message that she does not understand why a person living in Finland writes this way. I try not to read the comments.
Lemminkäinen hopes that different countries in the world will help stop the war in Ukraine.
– I want all countries to help stop such a war.
LP Message from a long-time Ukrainian passer Victoria Tuchashvili feeling empty. The experienced passari has been playing in Finland since 2013, except for the period 2015–2016.
– I feel empty after just two days. I don’t know how many days are left. This feels really heavy. It’s hard to wake up in 2022 to the message that the war has started in your homeland, Tuchashvili tells Sport.
– I have many friends in Ukraine and people are very, very scared. They are not allowed to sleep, they try to hide.
“Want to fight for our country”
Tuchashvili’s family and friends live in Kiev. Her sister is with her parents, and Tuchashvili keeps in touch with them.
– I’ve been trying to connect with them every hour. Especially when I watch TV and there’s some new news, some machine or bombing machine coming. I have called directly to my family and asked about their situation.
– This is really tough. I don’t know what words I could use to describe how I feel.
Tuchasvili hopes that the war in Ukraine will end soon, but recalls that Ukraine is a small country compared to Russia. He also wonders how the Russians have talked about the Ukrainians.
– The news I hear says that someone is inciting Ukrainians to fight. That’s not true. I have friends in the military and they want to fight for our country. It is not true what the Russian people, politicians and TV are saying. I know that people want to live in our country and fight for it.
– I hope this ends soon, Tuchashvili concludes.