In this blog entry, I’d outline the actual situation of the urban areas where I could visit for the first time to be in Ukraine, Poland and etc.. ※Original blog entry in Japanese.
As a start of our support for Ukraine, we were involved in sorting the relief supplies that arrived at the Embassy of Ukraine in Japan, estimating the transportation costs, and determining the means of transportation. In the end, the transportation destination was also decided, and we were able to complete the procedures and could receive the official documents safely.
On the day of departure for Ukraine, I first arrived in Warsaw (Poland) accompanied by Mr. Yamada and Mr. Honma, the chairpersons of the Ukraine-Moldova Friendship Association.
We have been interviewed by NHK, Japan Broadcasting Corporation
After we arrived in Warsaw, we did inspect the actual system to accept refugees and the activities of volunteers.
Recorded by Hideichi Kato
The next day, we moved to Chișinău (Republic of Moldova) and headed to the market for procure relief supplies.
The market in Chişinău boasts an area nearly 10 times larger than Tsukiji Outside Market, and sells a wide variety of vegitables, fruits and so on. The market in Chișinău is a great place to buy foodstuff at a lower price than at supermarkets, where you may negotiate prices and transportation.
During our activities in Moldova, there was an explosion in the border area. Therefore we tried to enter the neighboring country of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic to reconsider our route, but we were informed that there would be a Russian troops checkpoint. Then possibly our stuff would be confiscated at the checkpoint, hence we left Mr. Yamada in Moldova and I and Mr. Honma returned to Warsaw by airplane.
From Warsaw, we took a long-distance bus to Lviv via Lublin.
Upon arrrival in Lviv (Ukraine), an air raid alarm warned and we were forced to take shelter in a building. At the time, We were reminded that we were in the counrty at war.
We then took a long-distance train to Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. Upon arrival, we immediately handed over the tourniquet we had carried. *No photos for this event because it’s prohibited to take a photo in Ukraine as their rule. Especially in Kiev there was so strict.
Video8: Bucha Irpin, May 1
The next day, we saw a half-destroyed apartment building in Borodianka.
There were scenes of destruction reported in many news.
The only volunteer activity we saw were unknown Ukrainian volunteers distributing food; when we visited again a week later, grocery stores had opened and evacuees were gradually returning to their homes.
With special permission from the Ukraine military, we were able to see Antonov (An-225) at Gostomel Airfield.
Explosives and body parts were scattered around the airfield, because the site had not yet been opened to the press.
We were forced to evacuate the airfield when shelling began from all sides.
Due to the confusion and fuel shortage at the time, we needed to change the date to help citizens to escape from the front by bus but we could give our hands to some of them.
After the happened, Mr. Honma led some evacuees back to Warsaw, and from then on he was able to take photos ine the city alone, deliver medical supplies work with local doctors and other medical personnel, and visit animal protection shelters.
An protection shelter for animals was destroyed by an air raid strike; over 200 animals were died by the explosion. We were surprised to see the animal protection support from Europe, both in Ukraine and neighboring countries. The facility here still needs more support for solar power generation and other infrastructures.
There was air raid alarts warned every midnight in Kyiv.
In Ukraine, except of battle fields and demoished areas, you may buy commodities in many cities as usual. *Beef is not distributed.
Ukrainian civilians said that, most of commodities are stocked in grocery stores. But we have no money to buy them. Cash is more useful to have daily food, nexxessary things and so on. If I may have a thing, I want petron.
becasue due to the Russian attack against fuel storage facilities, there are restrictions of purchase.
Also, many people are unemployed because of the halt in economic activity.
If you are going to donate relief supplies to Ukraine, please refer to it. Ukraine is the major agricultural country. Please send them donations what they really need.
The Ukrainian government needs for relief supplies are combat weapons and the equipments, also vehicles and drones as well. For injury, they need advanced medical supplies, surgical tools, anesthetics, and tourniquets for use when wounded in the war. (It’s really dengerous if the quality of tourniquets are poor then would be broken easily.)
In addition, several militia groups and church medical teams/volunteers are active in Ukraine, and they are independently raising funds and relief having supplies from within the country. (*Beware that there are some unscrupulous volunteers who are reselling donations.)
Equality Personal Union is mainly engaged in human rsupport internationally, and we would repot the actual situation in Ukraine and other countries where we support.