NEW HAVEN, Conn. — As the world watches a war unfold in Ukraine, there is an especially keen interest on the campus of Yale University, where the campus came together in large numbers in response to what students call crimes against humanity by Vladimir Putin.
While the crisis in Ukraine grows, Yale's students, from a country that is about the size of Texas, said they still feel like they can have an impact half a world away.
"I'm coordinating with Yale-New Haven Hospital to collect medical supplies to send over to western Ukraine right now," said Yulia Zhukovets, a Ukrainian Yale student.
The university's Ukrainian students have reached out, with an open letter, to governments and parliaments of countries that are part of the European Union and NATO requesting action, including severe sanctions against Russia and recognizing Ukraine as an EU and NATO membership candidate.
"Right now, the support that we've seen from student organizations, from alumni, from the administration has been amazing, absolutely amazing," said Olena Derevianko, a Yale Student from west-central Ukraine.
These Ukrainian students said what is happening to their home country is surreal and unjust.
"I think the whole public thought was it's not gonna happen," said Sofiya Bidochko, a Yale student, who lived in Ukraine until she was two. "Like being honest Ukrainians have lived for decades, centuries under the looming threat from Russia."
"The Armed Forces right now and the whole Ukrainian nation is literally breaking the spine of the ugliest monster ever, of the 21st century," said Derevianko.
The Russian troops have been striking too close to home, literally, as far as Zhukovets is concerned, citing a phone call she had with her dad in Kyiv.
"And literally like a half an hour after a phone call a missile hit the apartment building like 10 minutes away from their house," she said.
Derevianko, who talked about Ukraine's armed forces stepping up in a big way, is especially proud, but scared. Her dad is a Colonel, is based in the hot spot of Kyiv. Her mother is a Lt. Col. in Ukraine's military.
Tony Terzi is a reporter at FOX61 News. He can be reached at tterzi@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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