HARTFORD, Conn. — Connecticut residents stood together in support of Ukraine at a rally outside of the Connecticut State Capitol in Hartford Saturday afternoon.
Some Connecticut locals are concerned for relatives in Ukraine and some of them tell us they have relatives who are headed to the front lines, like Alex Kuzma.
“It’s hitting home a lot harder because I just found out that a nephew of mine who was already wounded…this war has been going on for 8 years. He was out on the front lines, his bunker was attacked by Russians several months ago and he was wounded, not heavily, and we were hoping and praying that he was going to be able to stay in recuperation for the next few months,” Kuzma said. “But he just got called up and he’s saying, 'I’m going to go back, I’m going to go fight.'”
Kuzma, who is with the Ukrainian Catholic University Foundation, which supports higher education in Ukraine, said the university in the western part of the country is providing shelter for refugees as Russian attacks are underway in parts of the country.
“They said even though there haven’t been any direct attacks on their city, they’re having bombs going off in the distance,” he said referencing a video meeting he had with university colleagues in Ukraine. “And sadly, some of our best and brightest students have volunteered to go off and fight.”
Hundreds of Connecticut residents rallied in front of the State Capitol in Hartford Saturday afternoon to show their support for Ukraine. Some speakers at the rally, along with Kuzma, are calling for NATO and the US to impose a no-fly zone.
“You know, the Russians have air superiority and so it’s really important that they not be allowed to just bomb cities,” Kuzma said. “We don’t want to wait until 100,000 people are killed before the U.S. intervenes.”
However, some defense experts say the move would essentially mean war with Russia.
Hamden resident Maria Brandriff still has relatives in the Ukraine and is concerned not only for them and their safety, but how far the impact of this conflict could extend.
“It’s very, very upsetting and very frightening,” she said. “I’m concerned for our world. I feel like this is a threat to all of us. It’s destabilizing.”
More rallies and gatherings are planned for Sunday in Connecticut, including a meeting at the Ukrainian National Home in Hartford Sunday afternoon.
Elisha Machado is a reporter at FOX61 News. She can be reached at emachado@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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