Ukrainians in Pittsburgh react to recent war developments

It’s been a summer of significant developments for Ukraine as it defends itself against Russian invaders.

Recently, Ukrainian fighters recaptured parts of the country’s northeast territory in what’s being called the most successful counterattack of the war. Mass graves and torture chambers were found in those reclaimed areas.

And as Ukrainians brace for an upcoming winter of fighting, Vladimir Putin has announced he’s calling up an additional 300,000 troops.

The Tribune-Review spoke with a couple of Ukrainians with Pittsburgh connections that we have profiled since the start of the war to find out how they feel about these recent developments.

University of Pittsburgh associate professor of economics Tymofiy Mylovanov is a Ukrainian citizen who splits time between Pittsburgh and Kyiv, where he is president of the Kyiv School of Economics and advises Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Mylovanov has spent most of his time in Kyiv since the start of the war last February, but was back on the Pitt campus this past week and expressed excitement over the Russian retreat.

“It shows that the war can be won and can be won in finite time,” Mylovanov said. “It shows that Russia has either reached a culmination point or is incompetent because to collapse and retreat at such an amazing pace, that is quite something.”

Ukrainians Katerina Boyco and her 13-year-old daughter Alexa left their home in Zhytomyr, about 90 miles north of Kyiv, soon after the war started. They ended up taking refuge with the family of Richard and Erica Kain in Sewickley.

Boyco is encouraged by recent events.

“Recently when Kharkiv was freed from Russian occupation, we were really happy,” Boyco said. “But there were tears in our eyes because still people die, and our soldiers die, and that is really terrible. But we will fight ‘til the end — until all our territory will be free, including Crimea.

”This is my Ukrainian obligation.”

Mylovanov does not expect to see a Ukrainian counteroffensive that goes into Russia.

“We have our home and we want it not to be occupied,” he said. “The largest damage from the war is war crimes, torture, rapes, mass executions in the occupied territories. So, for us victory means stopping Ukrainians from being killed and tortured.”

Mylovanov said chasing the Russians out of Ukraine means all occupied Ukrainian territory, including Crimea, which Russia seized in 2014.

“That includes Crimea, because they continue to persecute people there, too,” Mylovanov said. “They deport people, torture people who live there and cancel our culture, appropriate our culture. And they also bring Russians — hundreds of thousands of Russians — to live in Crimea. That has to stop, too.”

For her part, Boyco said she doesn’t personally feel any animosity toward the Russians.

“I will never be angry because in this world there is no place for anger and hate,” she said. “I don’t feel angry. I just feel pity and sorrow for them because it will probably not end up in a good way for them.”

The U.S. and its allies have sent billions of dollars worth of weapons to Ukraine, including shoulder-fired and longer-range missiles. Mylovanov said Ukraine is grateful to the U.S. but that it needs to provide more and better weapons and not worry about how it might encourage Putin to escalate his attacks.

“In fact, it deescalates. Weapons allowed us to kick out Russians from Kyiv,” Mylovanov said. “The U.S. didn’t give us any javelins (missiles), no anti-tank launchers, no stingers (missiles), and they could have (earlier). That would have meant that Russians would not have been able to create as much damage and to kill as many people.

“The U.S. and the rest of the world gave us weapons later. It’s always a day late and a dollar short. Now we need planes, we need air defense.”

Mylovanov said he is concerned about what lies ahead for Ukrainians as winter approaches.

“I am concerned that Russia will attack our power infrastructure in very difficult conditions,” he said. “But other countries have gone through that. When the Baltic countries in the ’90s declared independence, Russia cut off energy supplies to them and they survived. Now, they are thriving. So, we will get through this, too.”

Meanwhile, Boyco has been reunited with her husband who, like his wife, is a professional musician. They have moved into their own apartment in Sewickley where she said they have received a lot of support from the community.

“I live in a wonderful community,” Boyco said. “When I found the apartment, there was nothing there. It was empty. The Sewickley community furnished my apartment, from the coffee maker to a bed and wardrobes and dressers. They’ve found me everything.

“It’s amazing. I’m really happy to be here.”

Boyco is working a couple of part-time jobs while she and her husband look for work in the field of music. And she said her daughter Alexa, an accomplished flutist who is enrolled in Quaker Valley Middle School, has joined the school’s marching band.

The Trib also reached out to Daria Zhuravska, a Ukrainian refugee we spoke with back in May. At the time, the 27-year-old Kyiv resident was living at the home of Ross resident Danette Rocco.

Zhuravska is now living and working in New York City. Our calls to her were not immediately returned.