Despite the uncertainly at the moment, Nataliya’s brother Michael told me he feels like the situation must be more difficult for Nataliya and I as we watch powerlessly from far. He lives in Kharkiv, one of Cincinnati’s sister cities, in eastern Ukraine, and the city has been under Russian bombardment for more than a week. Neither Nataliya nor I have been sleeping well. However, we have been doing what we can to support Ukraine and the 1 million refugees who have already fled as well as bolster our own spirits.

About 150-200 people attended a protest on Monday (Feb. 28) at city hall. There were many outrageous, poignant, and pointed signs. Protestors wore the national colors of blue and yellow and waved the national flag. I brought along some sunflowers which are the national flower. Cars honked their horn in support as they drove past. Mayor Aftab Purval spoke and pledged support to Kharkiv which is one of our sister cities. It felt great to be around so many other people who also cared so deeply about Ukraine. Several news outlets covered the event and Nataliya was mortified to later see her portrait in City Beat.

The slogans of Ukrainian resistance erupted loudly and frequently from the crowd:

Slava Ukraini (glory to Ukraine)!

Heroyam slava (glory to the heroes)! [This serves as a rejoinder]

These two nationalist slogans originated in the Ukrainian war for independence (1917-21) against Poland and the Bolshevik government in Moscow.(link)

An informal committee has been created at my employer, Humana. We had an initial meeting last week that generated more than 30 different ideas about how our company and coworkers can support the Ukrainian people. A second “shark tank” style meeting will turn the ideas into action later this week. Several of my ideas were selected, including a suggestion to divest from any funds or assets in Russia. Numerous other companies and funds have made a similar pledge; however, it may not even be relevant since I’m not sure Humana even has any assets in Russia. If we do, it won’t be feasible for the foreseeable future since MoEx (the Moscow stock market) will remain closed indefinitely due to the unprecedented sanctions that have been levied against Russia. (link) I’m not even sure how to send this suggestion up the corporate ladder or who would even make that decision aside from the board of directors.

On Saturday (March 5^th), I attended another protest and fundraiser in Mason. This time, it took the form of a 5k walk and fundraiser at Corwin Nixon Park. Turnout was again very strong with about 150 people participating. At first, we walked along Mason-Montgomery Road with many cars honking in support. Then, we walked across the park alongside a peaceful little stream. The weather was perfect – sunny and warm. I felt like maybe Michael and his family could live vicariously through me since they remain huddled in the apartment in Kharkiv.

Putin’s naked aggression has enraged me, and I will do everything I can to help. Because I’m not very busy at work currently, the war in Ukraine has given me new purpose. Nataliya and I urge everyone to act on their sympathy for Ukraine as well by donating to humanitarian organizations, writing a letter to Congress, attending rallies, or any other relevant activity. To stay up to date on local ways to support Ukraine, you can join the Stand with Ukraine in Cincinnati Facebook group.

The International Criminal Court has begun to investigate whether Putin has committed war crimes during the invasion of Ukraine. However, the evidence is obvious that he has. The Russians have used cluster bombs against the city, which drop a carpet of small bomblets over a wide area. (link) This is the definition of indiscriminate and exposes Putin’s lies about targeting only “military objects.”

On Tuesday (March 1^st), Russian missiles destroyed Freedom Square in the city’s center, which housed local and regional government offices, as well as a concert hall and opera house. The city zoo is immediately adjacent to Freedom Square but does not seem to have been badly damaged. Nataliya took her son to the zoo on previous trips to visit his grandparents. However, the zookeepers were unable to evacuate the animals since the city is only 28 miles from the Russian border. The zookeepers have sedated the animals but say they only have 10 days of food left. Some animals have escaped but more than 4,000 remain. (link) I love animals, and they shouldn’t be overlooked. That’s not to downplay all the human suffering that’s occurring either. The European Zoo Association is accepting donations on behalf of all Ukrainian institutions (link).

I hope that one day I can see Kharkiv in all its peaceful splendor after Putin has been forced to rebuild it. Although I’m usually not a fan of jingoist slogans, I’ll sign off my blogs from now on with the following salute:

Slava Ukraini!