By: Mason Mattu, News Writer
Content warning: mentions of genocide.
On February 26, the SFU Ukrainian Student Society (USS) held an event in Burnaby’s Student Union Building to commemorate three years since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Anastasia Sokolova, president of the USS and psychology undergraduate student, began the event with a presentation highlighting key responses to disinformation that have been ongoing since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. One example of this is Russia’s claim that they only “target military buildings or military objects.” Sokolova stated that this is not true as many civilians have died — over 12,654 since the invasion began, according to the UN. She also showed before and after photos of Ukraine’s cities, descriptions of war crimes perpetrated by Russian soldiers, and how Ukrainians are using artistic means such as music to express their sorrow and resilience during this time.
Sokolova, whose home country is Ukraine, told The Peak her family and friends reside in Ukraine. “When I am talking to my family and friends [ . . . ] I can hear sometimes shootings and explosions,” she said.
A recent development surrounding the invasion is peace talks led by the Trump administration. According to the Associated Press, Trump made a false statement blaming Ukraine for starting the conflict with Russia and called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a “dictator.” US-Russia peace talks earlier in February did not include Ukraine. More recently, the US halted their military aid to Ukraine after Trump and Zelensky’s Oval Office clash. “Ukraine should have their rights in the negotiations about the peace claims,” said Sokolova. “We want our country to be independent and we want all of our occupied territories to be under Ukrainian control.”
One subject Sokolova dove into during the presentation was the transfer of children from Ukrainian families to Russian families. She explained since Russia’s annexation of the Ukrainian territory of Crimea in 2014, “more than 19,000 [Ukrainian] children” have been forcibly taken to Russia as hostages and scattered across the country, making them difficult to track down. According to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), the “transfer and Russification of Ukrainian children shows evidence of genocide.” Russification — a set of policies that encourage the adoption of Russian culture — has been prominent in Ukraine since the invasion. Human Rights Watch has shed light on the fact that “Russian curriculum and Kremlin propaganda” have appeared in Ukrainian schools in Russian-occupied areas. The organization describes this as a violation of the laws of war as set forward by the Geneva Conventions of 1949.
“I definitely think it is a genocide because they target our civilian structures,” said Sokolova. “They are destroying our cultural heritage. They [are targeting] UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation-protected objects like churches and other places.”
“Human life is in crisis, and the quality of human life is very important.” — Svitlana Kominko, founder and CEO, Maple Hope Foundation
Directly following Sokolova’s presentation, Svitlana Kominko, founder and CEO of Maple Hope Foundation and BCIT faculty member, delivered a presentation. Maple Hope Foundation is an organization offering “medical and humanitarian aid, settlement assistance, advocacy, and community engagement.”
Kominko, who has a PhD in developmental psychology, described her current work as a grief counsellor, helping mothers and widows who lost their sons and husbands while fighting for Ukraine. She also spoke of the initiative between Helijet and Maple Hope Foundation which involved Helijet donating a Sikorsky S-76A helicopter for medical purposes in Ukraine.
“If you’re going to make a difference in the life of one human being, one child, one veteran [ . . . ] go for it,” said Kominko, referring to how non-Ukrainians can advocate for the country. “Human life is in crisis, and the quality of human life is very important.”
During the event, donations were accepted for Ukrainian Patriot, an organization working to “aid volunteers defending Ukraine and civilians caught in the crossfire.” Anastasiia Bobrovska, the marketing director for the USS and Beedie undergraduate, proudly wears a badge to indicate her volunteerism with Patriot. “I work on a volunteer basis to help people, specifically children and women in war,” said Bobrovska, who tries to return to Ukraine every break between semesters from school. Most recently, she was in Ukraine during reading break. “When I come back to my home country, to Ukraine, I help pack first aid kits and essentials for the battlefield. I also help with organizing some rehabilitation events for kids who survived Russian occupation.”
Sokolova is hopeful for a better tomorrow in Ukraine: “I still have hope and I’m not giving up because I really hope that one day, our country will be independent, the war will end, and no one will attack us again.”
According to Sokolova, SFU students looking to better advocate for Ukraine can start by learning more by attending events held by the USS, stating anyone can attend. “Read the news and don’t be indifferent about what’s going on.”
To make a donation to Ukrainian Patriot, you can visit ukrainianpatriot.org/donations-page. To make a donation to Maple Hope Foundation, you can visit maplehopefoundation.org.
