After a lot of research in the field of international conflicts, I decided that there will never be anyone better to talk about the situation in the country that is under attack than the person who was actually forced to live through the terrible events. 

After a bit of thinking, I found a perfect candidate. My best friend that I have known since childhood is always full of entertaining stories to tell, and even February 24th of 2022 couldn’t change her adventurous nature. 

Her name is Alina and she is from Kharkiv, Ukraine.

Alina will never forget the day that changed her world. Until February 24th, life was normal. Children went to kindergartens, students went to school, adults to work. But when the war began, everything changed dramatically. It changed a lot for Alina too, but she wanted a peaceful life back.

The city where she was stuck was on the Russian border and every day it was getting more and more destroyed. 

On her first try to get out of Kharkiv and forcefully move to the capital, her hotel got bombed and her whole family lived through their luckiest yet most unfortunate moment. 

Alina was telling me everything right after the event happened on the phone. The vivid memories will forever be glued to her imagination. She was working on her morning portion of coffee when she saw something out of the window flying by. The next moment she remembered, she was on the ground and the windows in the room were shattered, but it didn’t hit her directly.

They ran out of the building as fast as they could. The vessel fell right on the street and destroyed a piece of the building. There was no safe feeling in that place anymore, so they decided to pick Kharkiv over any other city. Home sweet home.

Alina has a confident opinion on the amount of protection the world gives to Ukraine. We have some protection, but this is not enough. During rocket attacks, Russia fires from 80 to 100 rockets; a lot of rockets fall on residential buildings like the one she was staying overnight at. 

My country, my friends, and I are grateful for financial, military, and humanitarian assistance from other countries, including America.  

But this is not enough, the war has been going on for almost a year!  We are protecting ourselves, our homes, our land, and the whole world.

Alina was able to become used to constant shots and explosions right outside of her window. The amount of times she avoided death just by pure chance is uncountable. 

She is one of the thousands of amazing human beings that will benefit our world in the future that is just sitting under the explosions in her basement and waiting for better times that will never come without more involvement from the international community. Even specifically MSHS. 

Ukraine needs help and support. It may sound illogical, but Ukraine needs weapons for peace. Our women and men protect us with their bodies, losing their lives and the lives of their children. Help Ukraine. Save Ukraine!