No place will be safe if Putin isn't stopped, Ukraine's First Lady warns in open letter

Agencies | Kyiv

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

As Russian airstrikes and missile attacks pounded Ukraine, and thousands fled the country to escape the war zone, Olena Zelenska, the First Lady, penned an emotional letter addressed to the media about the devastation and despair caused by the war.

She warned that if Putin is not stopped, nobody will be safe. "If we don't stop Putin, who threatens to start a nuclear war, there will be no safe place in the world for any of us," she wrote.

"On February 24th, we all woke up to the announcement of a Russian invasion. Tanks crossed the Ukrainian border, planes entered our airspace, missile launchers surrounded our cities," she wrote, adding that Kremlin's 'special operation' was, in fact, 'the mass murder of Ukrainian civilians.

Children Killed In War

Strongly refuting Russia's claims of not targeting civilians, she went on to call out the name of children who died in the war, calling it 'the most terrifying and devastating of this invasion'.

"Eight-year-old Alice died on the streets of Okhtyrka while her grandfather tried to protect her. Or Polina from Kyiv, who died in the shelling with her parents. 14-year-old Arseniy was hit in the head by wreckage, and could not be saved because an ambulance could not get to him on time because of intense fires," she wrote.

Families Live In Bomb Shelters

As Moscow escalated military aggression, residential buildings were reduced to rubble in key cities. Describing the situation in the war-torn country, she said, "Our women and children now live in bomb shelters and basements. You have most likely all seen these images from Kyiv and Kharkiv metro stations, where people lie on the floors with their children and pets trapped beneath. These are just consequences of war for some, for Ukrainians it now a horrific reality."

"In some cities families cannot get out of the bomb shelters for several days in a row because of the indiscriminate and deliberate bombing and shelling of civilian infrastructure," she added.

She wrote, "The first newborn of the war, saw the concrete ceiling of the basement, their first breath was the acrid air of the underground, and they were greeted by a community trapped and terrorized. At this point, there are several dozen children who have never known peace in their lives."

Struggle For Medical Help

Elaborating on the struggle to get medical help during the war, she said, "Some people require intensive care and continuous treatment, which they cannot receive now. How easy is it to inject insulin in the basement? Or to get asthma medication under heavy fire? Not to mention the thousands of cancer patients whose essential access to chemotherapy and radiation treatment have now been indefinitely delayed."

Local communities on social media are full of despair. Many people, including the elderly, severely ill and those with disabilities, have been debilitatingly cut off, ending up far from their families and without any support. War against these innocent people is a double crime.

Roads Flooded With Refugees

As the war left hundreds displaces, she wrote, "Our roads are flooded with refugees. Look into the eyes of these tired women and children who carry with them the pain and heartache of leaving loved ones and life as they knew it behind. The men bringing them to the borders shedding tears to break apart their families, but bravely returning to fight for our freedom. After all, despite all this horror, Ukrainians do not give up."

She said 'the aggressor, Putin' underestimated our Ukraine and its people and their patriotism. "Ukrainians, regardless of political views, native language, beliefs, and nationalities, stand in unparalleled unity," she wrote.

"While Kremlin propagandists bragged that Ukrainians would welcome them with flowers as saviors, they have been shunned with Molotov cocktails," she wrote.

She also thanked the citizens of the attacked cities and helped others. She also expressed her gratitude for those who provided humanitarian aid to the war-hit country.

"Ukraine wants peace. But Ukraine will defend its borders. Defend its identity. These it will never yield," she said.

Close The Sky

She once again urged 'those in power' to close the sky. She wrote, "Close the sky, and we will manage the war on the ground ourselves," she said.

"In cities where shelling persists, where people find themselves under debris, unable to get out of basements for days, we need safe corridors for humanitarian aid and evacuation of civilians to safety. We need those in power to close our sky," she wrote.

She appealed to the media to keep showing the truth. She said, "I appeal to you, dear media: keep showing what is happening here and keep showing the truth. In the information war waged by the Russian Federation, every piece of evidence is crucial."

She ended her letter with: Glory to Ukraine!