Russian invasion: in Strasbourg, the very worried Ukrainian community

Mélina Facchin, edited by Solène Delinger 4:04 p.m., February 24, 2022

REPORT

The scenario so feared by the international community has indeed taken place.

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced at dawn a "military operation" in Ukraine where powerful explosions sounded in several cities of the country.

Pro-Russian separatists advanced east.

How do Ukrainians in France experience the situation?

Many of them gathered in Strasbourg to express their fear and their anger. 

“My children went to school with tears in their eyes”

Olga has lived in France for 17 years.

Several members of his family are still in Kiev.

She is obviously very worried and stays on her phone, first to reassure her teenage children who live here with her in Strasbourg, but who are terrified by the situation in Ukraine.

"My son and my children went to school today with tears in their eyes," she told Europe 1. "They call me every hour to ask what's going on and how the situation is progressing. situation in Ukraine". 

>> Find Europe midi in replay and podcast here 

Olga has a lot of family in Kiev: her mother, sister, nieces, cousins.

She was able to get them this morning on the phone.

They confirmed to him that they had heard shelling that night.

"They are now at home because really, it was already too late to leave Kiev and there are bombardments everywhere", she explains, very worried.

"It's better to wait a bit to leave. They are very bad." 

Ukrainian Community Gathering

Olga hopes soon to be able to welcome her family to her home here in Strasbourg.

But today, she would almost like to be there with them, in Ukraine, to be able to do something.

In the meantime, she is participating this afternoon, at 3 p.m., in a gathering of the Ukrainian community, place Kléber, in Strasbourg.