Kiev/Herson/Slovjank Kiev’s beautiful snow cover brings momentary peace to the city’s mood, although at the same time the fate of Ukraine is at stake.
Russia’s extract from Ukraine began to strangle in 2014 as it captured the Crimean peninsula and began the war in eastern Ukraine. On Monday, three years of full war will mark. Over the anniversary, met the Ukrainians who have been interviewed during the war.
Crimean Serhij mokrenjuk has followed turmoil at a Kievian hospital. US President Donald Trump Surprisingly, he even describes the speeches. They force Europe to “grow up”, says Mokrenjuk.
– Must take responsibility for your future. In the big picture, no one owes anyone. We just have to fight, Mokrenjuk says.
met Mokrenjuk in August 2023. At that time, he worked for a non -governmental organization that investigated Russian crimes in the occupied Crimea.
According to Mokrenjuki, it was their survey of children’s retraining camps in the Crimea Vladimir Putin and the Russian Ombudsman for Children Marija Lvova-Belova for search announcements on war crimes suspected of Hague.
Now Mokrenjuk is served in the Ukrainian army, but is currently in hospital.
In the video, Mokrenjuk estimates that the war will continue for a long time:
He considers the use of US leadership to be humiliating. But not so much for Ukraine, but to the Americans themselves, Mokrenjuk explains.
“They chose Trump, and they have to deal with this,” says Mokrenjuk.
And why did so many Ukrainians even seem to be waiting for Trump?
– Because people hoped for a miracle. And then they don’t listen to what they say, Mokrenjuk says.
Mokrenjuk’s faith in the restoration of Crimea is not shocked. He says he is sure that Ukraine will be returning his peninsula.
– It would be against logic to say that the Crimean invasion was ok, but Herson was not. It is necessary to rewind the events back to zero, says Mokrenjuk.
That moment is the Crimean occupation in 2014. As to when Ukraine would get the Crimean back, he cannot say. The more time it takes, the farther the Crimeans get from the Ukrainians.
– Children who were then nine years old are now in their twenties. Now they are attacking their own people.
Successful DJ recruited the first day of a full -time war
“Why do you think we are interested in comments from a high-value dick? We don’t have time to think about that. ”
This is how the Ukrainian soldier responds Daniel Detcom The question of how to react to Trump’s outputs on the front.
According to him, the front is primarily focused on the tasks, and the news around Ukraine does not affect the mood of the soldiers. Detcom is an artist name because he is a successful dj in civilian. He does not want his real name for security reasons.
Daniel has appeared in EPN before. A few days before Russia’s full -length attack by EPN’s former correspondent Suvi Turtiainen He met him in Kiev. Daniel recruited the Ukrainian army on the first day of the Russian full -time war.
According to Daniel, the army is now in a better order than last summer when the command chain was criticized. Nevertheless, the situation is anything but easy.
– It is eight months from the last rotation. Everyone is very tired, Daniel says.
Do Daniel Criminal Mokrenjuk believe that Ukraine would regain Russia -occupied areas yet?
– It’s hard to believe at the moment. It depends on Trump’s decisions, he says.
Trump has said that the war should stop soon. According to Daniel, the probability of ending the war this year is “50/50”. On the other hand, the Ukrainians want home to their relatives, but at the same time it is important how the war ends.
“Nobody wants these sacrifices to be done in vain,” says Daniel.
Daniel says he is still composing, also on the front. His music has become more melodic. He wonders whether it is due to war or aging.
A widow, a mother of five children who left on the front
Western Lytvynova appeared in EPN’s story in November 2024. She is the mother of five children who set off at the beginning of the war. He was separated from his children at the beginning of the war for three weeks, as the children did not get out of the occupation.
According to Lytvynova, the world’s media is now actively spreading the story that the Ukrainians are tired and want peace at any cost.
– When the land cannot be destroyed militarily, try to break it down. Let’s try to create a picture that the Ukrainians do not have the opportunity to win, says Lytvynova.
According to Lytvynova, it does not match the reality of Ukraine. According to him, people whose shoulders are resting in Ukraine will continue to work and support others.
Lytvynova confirms Daniel’s comments on front -end reality:
– Soldiers do not have a terrible time to think about big geopolitical issues.
In his opinion, what is happening in the world now was only a matter of time.
– We talked about this since 2014. We said Putin would break down the world order, Lytvynova says.
Putin was then given up, and now the world sees the consequences, says Lytvynova. According to him, shaking the world order is neither a good nor bad thing – just the next reality.
– Ukraine has a good chance to survive in the new reality. We have the only army in the world that is fighting, says Lytvynova.
Lytvynova admits that the end of US support would be a big risk for Ukraine. But he does not, according to him, to end his fighting.
– Ukraine defended himself in 2022 without any support. The whole world expected our resistance to fall in three days, Lytvynova recalls.
Like other interviewees, Lytvynova does not believe the war will end this year. Nor is he sure whether Ukraine will be able to regain the areas he lost. It would require a turning point on the front and is not in sight, according to Lytvynova.
Theater director from Herson believes that Europe has woken up
Theater Director of the South Ukraine Herson City Oleksandr knyga says that the situation in the city is difficult. Just the previous night, a nine -story house has hit a joint bomb that destroyed half of the building in the blink of an eye.
Knyga has performed several times in EPN’s stuff.
Despite the severity of the situation, the Ukrainian spirit is high, says Knyga.
According to Knyga, Trump’s statements about Ukraine are nervous about Ukrainians. However, barking at Zelensky to a dictator causes a resistance.
– This hardens us. We become more angry, and we get together again. Zelensky’s support has instantly risen, Knyga says.
Watch the video how a grenade attack interrupted a year ago an interview with Knyga in Herson:
Knyga believes that Europe will hold Ukraine.
– We tried to wake up Europe for three years, and we did not succeed completely. I believe that Trump has succeeded in it, and Europe is no longer able to avoid reality, Knyga says.
Part of the Knyga family remained on the other side of the Dniprojoki River in the occupied area of Herson. He says he is in regular contact with people on the opposite shore.
– What happens there is terrible. The conditions of the opposite beach can be described as a concentration camp. How could they be left to their own fortune?
Recent twists and turns have made Knygan too doubt the end of the war quickly. Knyga sees the future of Ukraine as clear as the people returning to the country have changed.
– I am convinced that we will appreciate our country more after that. Ukraine will become Europe’s booming light spot, Knyga says.