Anna Ustenko for NP-UN from Ternopil.
It has already been over a month since russia waged war against Ukraine. While the enemy continues to its attempts to make military advancements and commits numerous war crimes, the Ukrainian army, as well as civilians, remain resistant, repelling numerous attacks every day. In just one month of the war in Ukraine, over 16,000 russian soldiers had died.
Earlier this month President Zelenskyy spoke of the deaths of 1,300 Ukrainian servicemen since February 24. Each day the country mourns the loss of those fallen defending Ukraine’s freedom in a nationwide minute of silence at 9 am.
On Saturday, in Ternopil, the last farewell was given to Roman Lebukhorsky. He had been an active participant in the Revolution of Dignity in 2014 and after russia’s recent invasion had joined Ukraine’s Defense Forces. He died at hands of russian fascist military troops. This week he was laid to rest in his homeland, while many people had gathered to say the final goodbye to the hero.
Terrorist strikes and bombardments by the russian military continue across the country. This Saturday, while Joe Biden was visiting US troops on NATO’s eastern flank, russia launched several rocket strikes on Lviv, which is located within approximately 30 kilometers east of the border with Poland. This attack injured five civilians. Meanwhile, the air raid sirens continue to become more frequent all across the West of Ukraine. Still, the region is keeping its position as the country’s rear while sending various humanitarian aid to the most dangerous areas and welcoming those who had to flee their homes. Ternopil continues sending provisions to Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, and Mykolayiv regions.
The strength of Ukraine is measured not only by the military capabilities but also by the continuing effort of common people to carry on with their lives and jobs which are so important for the country’s economy. With the coming of the spring season, life finds its ways to go on.
Under the air raid sirens and despite the anxiety of what the next day may bring, spring fieldworks had already begun in 11 regions of Ukraine, including Ternopil. This year the planting season started earlier than usual. The Government of Ukraine introduced some perks that would make it easier for the farmers to do their usual seasonal work. These include interest-free financing, considerable fuel price discounts and several other novelties.
As the time for the school graduation exams comes closer, the need to modify a standard graduating procedure gains urgency. As the External independent evaluation (ZNO) is currently impossible, the Committee on Education and Science in cooperation with the Ministry recently introduced some changes to the usual mechanism of holding the exams. The decision, however, is not final, as it first must be approved by the Cabinet.
The exams will take place in the safer regions, that includes Ternopil. In this way, kids from all over Ukraine are going to have an opportunity to take exams to graduate from school as they normally would. Ternopil region is going to provide the opportunity for at least three times as many students as usually to take the External independent evaluation this year. At the same time, already almost three thousand internally displaced kids that are now in the Ternopil region continue their studies online in the local schools.
Ternopil keeps welcoming businesses that had to halt their operations at home and decided to relocate their offices and production from all over the country. Currently, 77 enterprises from the areas that are now suffering at the hands of russians already filed requests to start working in the region.
The Ternopil region had already welcomed over sixty thousand internally displaced persons. On Thursday the head of the Ternopil military administration reported about the plan of constructing new accommodations for the future housing of IDPs. Recently The Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine has launched a program according to which every IDP in Ukraine can receive from 2,000 to 3,000 UAH. Additionally, businesses that provide jobs for the internally displaced are going to receive an additional dotation of 6,000 UAH for each employed person.
It would be fair to suggest that presently no place in Ukraine is entirely safe. Assessing the chaotic nature of russia’s attacks, and the growing possibility of russian invasion to the other countries, such as Poland, Baltic states, and others, the issue of security in Europe is more pressing than ever since the World War II. But Ukraine keeps standing. While russia terrorizes cities and towns in the North, East, and South of Ukraine, Ternopil and other regions in the West are doing everything to bring the moment of victory closer.
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