After February 24, 2022, the war destroyed even more lives of Ukrainians, but even more people in the world learned about russia’s aggression against Ukraine. It was the day when the russian-Ukrainian war began for many in the West and even in Ukraine; it was in that painful February that it burst into their lives and divided them into “before” and “after”.

Therefore, it is obvious that many people perceive February 22, 2024 as the beginning of the war. At the same time, historians emphasize that russian aggression began much earlier. Moreover, although we have the official date of the beginning of russian aggression – February 20, 2014, it is still worth coming closer. Somewhere to a century’s depth.

Then humanity will understand that this long-term and bloody conflict comes down to one thing: russia is building its own empire, which it cannot be seen without Ukraine, and Ukrainians are trying to break this imperial dependence and defend their independence. Today, hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians are fighting for it at the front, as well as those who provide the front with reliable rear are going that.

For our current Guardian and volunteer of the NGO “Guardians of Light” Alona Leus, the war began back in 2014, when the enemy occupied Donbas. Her relatives lived in the Luhansk region at that time. Unfortunately, her grandmother still lives there, already in the temporarily occupied territory, today.

“Back in 2014, I learned what the russian-Ukrainian war was,” our heroine shares. “Even at that time, I had to give up on communication with a number of my relatives, as well as friends from Crimea, because we had a fundamentally different perception of what was happening. Their position, behavior, and actions were unacceptable to me… At that time, my casual friend died in the Ilovaisk boiler, and I hosted my friends from Horlivka at home. It happened after my friend spent three weeks “in the basement” and still managed to get to Kyiv, leaving his whole life under occupation. So, who are the enemies I know from that time.”

Before the full-scale invasion, Alona Leus lived an ordinary life, worked at Energoatom as a senior engineer in Maintenance Planning Department, and tried her best to ignore the premonition that something terrible was coming.

“Somewhere from the beginning of February, the feelings of war became so strong that I gave up and withdrew cash “just in case,” Energoatom employee says. – Moreover, on February 23, on the eve of the war, our whole family somehow spontaneously gathered for dinner in Kyiv. Who would have thought that in four hours my mother and I would wake up because of the explosions? When we turned on the news, we got to know that putin had started so-called svo (special military operation), but in reality – genocide of Ukrainians!”

The young woman confides that at that moment she was overcome by strange feelings, it was a mix of fear, confusion and uncertainty at the same time: “I was looking at the suitcase and could not understand how I was supposed to fit not only my life, but also my child’s life in it. At the same time, I was not going to leave anywhere. My mother immediately went to her place in the Boryspil area, where she learned from the neighbors that a military unit had been deployed nearby at night.

After I spent a day in Kyiv and realized that I would not be able to run to shelter with a small child, and read that a rocket had hit the house in our area, I decided to go to my mother’s. Although later I realized it was not the best idea, since Boryspil airport was located conditionally across the field, and the village was on the highway to Kyiv. However, at that time, I was hearten by the thought that we would all be together.

At my mother’s we lived for several months, and we finally returned home to the capital in the summer.”

The young woman started volunteering even before the official creation of the NGO “Guardians of Light”. She organized meetings for her casual friends who were fighting. Nevertheless, even at that time she understood that if she put heads together with her colleagues who were also volunteering, the result would be much more effective. The volunteer was sure that together they could do much more for the defenders of Ukraine.

“And so it happened,” the volunteer exulted. – By uniting with colleagues and enlisting the support of Energoatom management, we generally succeeded in doing a lot to bring Victory closer! Moreover, I am very grateful for this opportunity, because the feeling that you are not standing aside from the war gives you the inspiration to live. Incredible joy comes when you manage to deliver aid and see a message from the defenders that it has preserved or even saved a life. At such moments, you understand that you are in your place and, even minimally, you are helping military to expel the enemy from their native land”.

But there is also something frustrating about the activities of volunteers – the inability to do more things or in time, since resources are limited. Then it becomes painful for everyone. However, after talking with the defenders, who have already become friends for the years of the war, Alyona understands that she has no right to give up and must do what is in her power.

In addition, according to the girl, it is important to help not only materially, but also psychologically: “I always try to find words of support; to remind them that they are remembered and expected. I emphasize how people are proud of them and that without them we would have long ceased to exist. I believe that it is necessary to talk about this to defenders as often as possible and I urge everyone who has relatives, friends or just casual friends who are military to write to them and help them in any way they can. Sometimes a simple message “How are you?” reminds a person that he or she have not been forgotten, people are worried and waiting for he or she.”

Alyona Leus adds that she understands the fatigue of Ukrainians both at the front and in the rear, and also sees that many people pretend that the war is somewhere far away and has nothing to do with them. At the same time, the situation on the front line demonstrates how quickly everything can change.

“We have already ignored the lessons of history and the events that preceded the full-scale invasion.” the Ukrainian woman states. “Moreover, if we continue doing this, it is quite possible that the enemy will come out again on our doorstep! Therefore, donating and helping the army is a direct duty of a citizen and simply a decent person. Thus, if we want to live in a free, independent and prosperous Ukraine, we must bring Victory closer together! Glory to Ukraine! Glory to heroes!”