Ukraine Invasion: Ukrainian from Sheffield says he fears a 'war within days'
and live on Freeview channel 276
Myron Fedak was born in Sheffield in 1957, and he has shared his perspectives and concerns about the current ‘worrying’ Ukraine-Russia situation.
His father moved to England in 1946 as a refugee following the Second World War after being unable to return to the Ukraine – he fought against the Germans with a division in Austria during the war.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdAccording to Myron, Sheffield has a relatively small Ukrainian community, with a maximum of around 100 Ukrainians living in the city at all times.
He is a committee member of the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain Doncaster branch, but says cities such as Manchester, Bradford and Leeds all have much bigger Ukrainian communities.
On the current Ukraine-Russia situation, Myron says it has “taken a turn for the worse.”
"It has taken a turn for the worse as a result of Putin enacting his, probably predetermined, strategy and has now recognised the brake-away areas in the East of Ukraine, where essentially Ukraine has been at war with Russia by proxy for the last eight years.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad"He has basically torn up the Minsk agreement and has decided that he will simply recognise them as break-away republics – and because he has issued almost a million passports to the people living in that area, he’s going to use that as an excuse to bring soldiers and probably tanks right up to the current border of the Donbas rebel held territory right up to the entrenchment of the Ukrainian troops.
"There will be a massive displacement now in that Donbas area, as Ukrainians that have lived there that are part of Ukraine and want to remain part of Ukraine will be afraid and there will be a mass migration towards the centre."
Myron says his biggest worry now is the immediate prospect of war as flare ups and tensions begin in the East of Ukraine.
"I do fear that there could be a war within days, you can just see it now – there is a flare up, some Russian troops will be shot or killed just as there will be casualties on the Ukraine side with these flare ups and stand-off at border area and that would simply be his excuse (Putin) for a march on Kiev. There will be a lot of fighting and a lot of dead people but on both sides.”
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdMyron, who last visited Ukraine four years ago, does have family in the country that he is concerned about if the situation escalates further and into war.
"My relatives are fortunately in the west, in the Lviv region, within 100 miles of the Polish border so it is a long way from the Eastern province of Donetsk and it is a full day’s travel just to get to Kiev.
"So I’m not concerned for them immediately but, obviously, if there is war it may well be that some of my cousins and relatives will be required to fight.”
In terms of next steps, Myron believes we all need to come together as one and believes our Government and UN need to impose all possible sanctions to stop Putin and stop putting lives at risk.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad"I think that, what our Government and the alliance need to do is to immediately impose all of the sanctions package, and that includes their banking structure and literally shut them down completely and that may then have some effect in tempering what Putin does next.
"Acts of aggression from Russia need to be fully documented and these fake news stories dispelled, we need to have immediate sanctions on the banks and businesses, stop them from trading and supporting any aspect of the Russian economy, freeze all properties and assets and exclude Russia from the Swift banking system – I know that is something that people are worried about as Russia owe money – is it money or is it people’s lives?
"The best outcome possible at this stage is that it goes no further, he sends troops but not artillery into that area, they do not push to the border and somehow there is some brokerage of piece to keep matters as they are, to go back to the Minsk agreement and give those regions some autonomy in the state of Ukraine – but it is Ukraine.
Another major concern of Myron’s is that countries near by, such as Poland, will be looking over their shoulder and thinking they may well be next.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad"This man is dangerous – the Polish people will be concerned, even more worrying if I was in Estonia, Lithuania, the Baltic states – they will be watching this thinking is it going to be us in another four or five years time.”
With giving support to Ukraine and Ukrainians, Myron says people in Sheffield, South Yorkshire and all over the country can play a part in building support and ensuring our Government take action.
"I think that it is really really important that we are robust with our Government and that we let our political leaders and our local MPs know.
"I have written to Alexander Stafford, the MP for Rother Valley, and he knows this anyway because his family are from the Ukraine and I know he will be doing all he can to support the UK Government.
"The thing that we all need now is for the UK government and for the NATO partners to act and without delay.”