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Ukrainians living in Nebraska and supporters gathered at an event Tuesday night marking the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner)
OMAHA — A young woman recited an original poem in her native Ukrainian language.
A teacher rekindled memories of her wartorn country as images of destruction flashed on a huge screen behind her.
A former Nebraska lawmaker with decorated military service shared why he is eight fact-finding missions in and willing to make a ninth to Ukraine as he nears age 70.
They were among a few hundred people, the bulk of them Ukrainian families, who gathered in an Elkhorn church Tuesday night to pray and support one another on the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Europe’s biggest conflict since World War II.
Toddlers, teens, seniors
The event at Bethany Lutheran Church was titled, “Four Years of Occupation & Resistance: Nebraska Neighbors for Ukraine.” It drew all age groups, from toddlers snoozing on a parent’s shoulders to teens and 77-year–old Nadia Lopetuk, who wiped away tears as she stood with hand over heart and sang her homeland’s national anthem.
“It makes my heart ache, in a good way,” she later told a reporter. “I’m proud of the big community and the fact we’re doing this. I’m proud of my religion and where I’ve come from. And I’m very thankful for Americans who have welcomed the Ukrainian people.”
Lopetuk spoke little English, but a young bilingual passer-by stopped to help interpret. Marfa Kolesnikova, 19, had come to the event with family members who resettled in the Omaha area about seven years ago.
The teen didn’t know Lopetuk, but listening to the elderly woman’s words made Marfa tear up, too.
“Just thinking about the battlefield and the front lines … people who lost their lives,” said Marfa of Donetsk, currently occupied by Russia. “I still have family back there.”
The human toll of the war is rising, and as one speaker said, there is still no end in sight. An estimated number of soldiers killed, wounded or missing on both sides has reached as high as 1.8 million, according to figures provided to the Associated Press from the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Those in the audience were told that they could show support of Ukraine in different ways, ranging from monetary and material donations to showing solidarity by attending such events.
Nebraska Ukrainians
Earlier Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declared that Russia has not “broken Ukrainians” and that Russian President Vladimir Putin has “not achieved his goals.”
He said the country has withstood the bigger and better equipped army that in the past year of fighting seized 0.8% of Ukraine’s territory. The nonpartisan, nonprofit Institute for the Study of War think tank estimates that Russia now occupies 20% of Ukraine.
Still the casualties from aerial strikes and power and water outages have caused devastation to families and the country. Last year more than 2,500 civilians reportedly were killed and about 12,000 injured in Ukraine.
Nearly 6 million people from Ukraine are registered as refugees globally, according to UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. Advocates say more than 2,500 Ukrainian refugees have resettled in Nebraska, a large portion of them in the Omaha area, and many gathered in the Elkhorn church Tuesday night.
Former State Sen. Tom Brewer, a 36-year vet who earned two Purple Hearts and served eight years in the Nebraska Legislature, spoke to the group, as did TV reporter John Grinvalds, who has joined Brewer on a few of his trips.
Brewer told the group the question he gets the most is why would he “stand down everything” he is doing, leave children and grandchildren to travel to Ukraine. He told them, as he said he had an audience in Kearney: that he spent eight years fighting wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and never saw the appreciation for American soldiers that he has felt from the Ukrainian people.
He returns from goodwill and relationship-building missions with stories to uplift the country and its people.
“I believe with all my heart, the current generation of Ukrainians will be known as the greatest because of the fight they’ve put up and the freedom that they will have eventually,” said Brewer.
“I will consider it one of my greatest honors to go there and help any way I can.”
Yellow and blue heart
Other presenters spoke of personal pain and led prayers for families that are suffering and soldiers and civilians who are dying. The two-hour event included video of Ukraine and testimony from people on the front lines. A minister said the local Ukrainian population finds comfort in community support. He said they believe in a better future and victory.
Amanda Hall of Orel Alliance, which helped host the gathering along with Bethany Lutheran Church, told the group that four years ago in February 2022 she had no connection to Ukraine other than what she saw on her TV screen.
About two years later she founded Orel Alliance in response to the humanitarian crisis. Orel means eagle in Ukrainian, symbolizing the strength and resilience of the families being served.
“Now I’m fairly certain if you cut me open my heart would be yellow and blue,” said Hall, referring to the colors of the Ukraine flag. “You deserve safety. You deserve more than what our government is giving you right now.”
Hall urged Nebraskans to speak to elected officials about why it is important that democracy in Ukraine continues.
“If Ukraine falls, Europe is next,” she said. “As Americans we can do something about this. We can raise our voices.”
U.S. Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., a retired Air Force brigadier general who served during the Cold War, is among the most vocal Republican proponents of military support for Ukraine.
He told the Examiner that he would have liked to be with Nebraska Ukrainians Tuesday night but was at the State of the Union address. He called himself a fan of Ukrainians.
“They want freedom. They want democracy, free markets, rule of law, they want to be part of the EU. They’d love to be part of NATO. They want to be part of us,” Bacon said. “And Russia hates it. They want to dominate them, put them back under their old borders.”
That’s what the war is about, Bacon said, adding that Russia “can’t stand that Ukraine wants to be independent.”
‘Sanctioning the hell out of’ Russia
An advocate for “sanctioning the hell out of” Russia, Bacon said he is working to advance bipartisan legislation that would provide aid and weapons for Ukraine and is seeking the one additional signature from a U.S. House member needed for a “discharge petition” that forces a floor vote.
As a speaker at other recent events marking the four years of resistance, Bacon said he talks about how “Joe Biden didn’t do enough” but that “President Trump has even done less.”
“It’s like a boxing match and he’s the umpire,” Bacon said of the president. “We need a guy who knows that Ukraine is the victim and the ones on our side. Russia is not on our side. They hate us.”
Also on display Tuesday night were photos by Howard Buffett, son of Warren Buffett, that were taken during his humanitarian trips to Ukraine. The local Ukrainian community submitted photos as well, many of which flashed on the big screen, showing a variety of faces at events across the state. A presenter asked the audience if anyone recognized themselves in the images.
When Hall finished her remarks, children ran up and gave her hugs. The Orel Alliance founder said she has come to know the Ukraine community as family.
“All of you have become my family,” she said. “I see myself in your faces.”
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