“Quick question.” That was the subject line of the email. The sender was wondering if Observant had plans to write about the two-year anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Saturday 24 February. And, if so, if we were interested in using some of the photos he took last month of the Memory Wall of the Fallen Defenders of Ukraine in the Russian-Ukrainian War.
Ukrainian students
The email came from Sjoerd Stoffels, educational technology consultant at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. He was interviewed by Observant a year ago about his visit to Kyiv to bury his brother-in-law, who had died at the front. We replied saying that yes, we definitely planned to write about Ukraine. Editor DV has interviewed two Ukrainian students – strangers to each other – who both fled the country in the early days of the invasion and ended up in Maastricht. Their lives changed in an instant. “I went to bed on an ordinary Wednesday evening, only to wake up at 4 AM to the sound of bombs exploding nearby”, recounts Ochihava. And Maksym Tovstolis recalls, “We took refuge in our neighbours’ bomb shelter with a space heater. Whenever the dogs began to bark, we knew there was an incoming air raid. We felt death coming closer and closer.”
Putin
Both students have shown remarkable resilience and determination. Ochihava is currently enrolled in a pre-master’s programme to prepare for a master’s degree in Forensics, Criminology and Law. She would love to work for the International Criminal Court in The Hague, especially if Putin and his associates ever stand trial there. Tovstolis is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, developing skills that might come in handy in Ukraine someday.
Europe
As for the photos Stoffels took in Kyiv last month, you’ll find one of them on this website. He provided a brief explanation to go with it: “The mood in the country is much darker than when I was there in July, when not much seemed to be happening. Russian attacks have increased; the air raid sirens go off several times per day. People in Kyiv once again find themselves cut off from power, gas and water for longer periods of time on a daily basis. But what hit me most was their fear that international support is crumbling two years into the war. It’s been a blow to morale.”
If you read between the lines, the message is clear – Europe must continue to stand by Ukraine.