‘OK, it’s on:’ Saskatchewan man offers glimpse of war in Ukraine

A Saskatchewan man who moved to Ukraine three years ago has found himself in the middle of a war.

Bryce Walker — who lives in Rivne, roughly 350 kilometres west of Kyiv — joined John Gormley on Monday and recounted the day Russia began its invasion.

“It was roaring. It was a low, constant roar,” Walker recalled when describing the sound of fighter jets flying over his home. “I looked at my girlfriend, she looked at me and we thought, ‘OK, It’s on. That’s it, it has begun.’ ”

Russian military forces crossed into Ukraine last Wednesday night. Walker, a photographer, has been documenting his experiences of the conflict on YouTube.

He says it’s inspiring to see ordinary Ukrainians putting their lives at risk to defend their country against the Russians.

“(We’ve seen) grandpas and grandmas throwing Molotov cocktails at tanks as they drive by,” Walker told Gormley.

“We got a grandfather standing in front of a column of tanks refusing to move, just like Tiananmen Square. These people are fearless.”

While there’s no active fighting in his region, Walker doesn’t have to venture far to see signs of the conflict, with military roadblocks and trains packed full of people fleeing the country.

“I have people that depend on me here so I can’t just leave,” Walker said. “We’re in a zone where everyone is still on edge. Rocket attacks could happen at anytime.  If the time comes that we have to run, we will, but that time hasn’t come yet.”

Reporter analyzes the scene in Ukraine

As the war continues, a reporter who has been in the country since it was invaded joined Gormley on Monday to recount what he has seen so far.

Nathan VanderKlippe with the Globe and Mail says he has witnessed a great amount of unification and mobilization by Ukrainian people as they defend their country.

“Gas stations are giving away free gas to people who are using it to fill Molotov cocktails,” VanderKlippe said. “It’s really become a national effort.”

VanderKlippe now finds himself in Moldova, a small country nestled in between Ukraine and Romania.

VanderKlippe says the country has seen a huge influx of people in a very short amount of time.

“We’ve now seen more than 70,000 people come into Moldova, which is a very small country,” he said.

“More than 420,000 total Ukrainians have left the country amid expectations that this is just the beginning. We could at some point see a number that is 10 times that.”

The reason VanderKlippe is in Moldova is to get a better understanding of how officials of former Soviet Union countries are feeling as they see Ukraine people duel with the extensive Russian military.

“This seems to be driving countries more rapidly into the arms of Europe as opposed to towards Russia, which, of course, was (President Vladimir) Putin’s ambition,” he said.

VanderKlippe is also trying to find out how Ukrainian people plan on keeping themselves fed as the battle rages on.

“I’m interested in trying to understand the supply lines that are being formed and maintained into Ukraine because there are reports from some folks that I spoke with that there are shortages of food in some areas,” he said.

“Canned goods (are) starting to run low, grocery stores obviously can stock things for a while, but at some point, they’re going to need to restock or the toll of human suffering is going to increase dramatically.”

As a refugee crisis looms, VanderKlippe says he has witnessed people come together to support Ukrainians in their time of need.

“It’s quite remarkable how much generosity is being shown,” he said. “The outpouring of generosity here has been absolutely staggering.”

— With files from 980 CJME’s Logan Stein