– I have three boys. I’m not ready for that, says Svetlana, clearly distressed. If the war continues, the eldest son Roman may be called up for military service next year. The tears are pressing when she talks about it. news meets her and her son Roman outside a church, where they volunteer to collect clothes to expel refugees. The days are mostly devoted to voluntary work and distance learning for Roman. Roman does not want to go to war, but if he has to, he will travel. Photo: Torstein Georg Bøe / news Soon he will be 17 years old, a year away from military service. Roman has begun to think about his own role in the war. He calls it certain death: – When I meet my friends, we talk about the war. None of us want to participate. We understand the seriousness of what is happening. One risks dying. Can change his mind But he is open to the fact that he may change his mind over time. If he has to go to war, he will. Svetlana is not ready to send her eldest son to war. Photo: Torstein Georg Bøe / news Svetlana is clear that she is giving her son the right to choose for himself what he wants, but is worried: – I am not ready to send him to war. As long as I can, I will try to talk Roman out of going to war. – Don’t you have a sense of responsibility for defending the country? – Honestly, no. Me and Roman’s father put so much into our child. He works and pays taxes, and puts a lot into the child, just like me. He is Ukrainian, I am Ukrainian. We are patriots. We are for the fatherland. But that I want to send my son to die? No. But I give my son the right to choose in all areas. When the war broke out, people lined up to enlist. A survey shows that, although support for the military is strong, the will to enlist has declined, according to The Wall Street Journal. The military will have challenges in recruiting people, and many have fled the country, write the newspaper. So far, over 8 million have fled Ukraine. Roman spends his days on distance learning and voluntary work. Photo: Torstein Georg Bøe / news She looks at him and says: – Look at what a son I have. Would I want him to be shipped back in pieces? No, of course not. They do not know what the future will bring. Ukraine has announced a major offensive, and will start training in the use of new warplanes. Refugees in their own country The family of five lived in Sievjerodonetsk, eastern Ukraine. Early in the war, the city was occupied by Russian forces, and Zelenskyi has called him dead. On the morning of February 24, the first rocket hit Sievjerodonetsk. Since then, 90 percent of the buildings in the city have been damaged. Photo: Reuters The town is bombed to pieces, and most people have fled: – Some still live there. I don’t know how. There is no electricity, there is nothing. It has been like this for a whole year. It’s horrible. The family have become refugees in their own country. They now live in Kyiv. Uncertain future Svetlana calls herself a Ukrainian patriot. She thinks Zelenskyj is brave, and praises that he did not run away when the Russians came. It has been over a year, but the country is still at war: – We don’t know what will happen when the war is over. Whether our city will be rebuilt, or whether the area will be frozen in a long-term conflict. It is not certain that things will get better, even if there is an end to hostilities. Hear also:
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