As war rages in Ukraine following the invasion by Russia, an Owensboro woman who is from Ukraine says friends and family in her native country are sheltering in basements or moving to safe locations away from the current fighting.
Iryna Tincher moved to the United States in 2006 from her hometown in the western part of Ukraine, about 60 miles from the city of Lviv.
While she was finishing her law degree in Ukraine, she came to the U.S. for a summer and worked at McDonald’s in New Jersey. Then she moved to Nevada to earn a degree in criminal justice, and during that time worked as a waitress. She’s an American citizen and moved with her husband to his hometown of Owensboro, Kentucky where she works as a realtor.
WKU Public Radio reporter Rhonda Miller talked with Iryna Tincher shortly after she returned from visiting family and friends in Ukraine, a week before the Russian invasion.
Tincher: February 16, I got back from Ukraine.
Miller: And how were things then? Were you hearing about this invasion? Or what was the situation when you were there?
Tincher: So I was watching, of course, American news before I even planned my trip. And I kind of knew because I felt like he'd been preparing for this for over 10 years, to invade us. He always hated us for some reason.
Miller: You mean Putin?
Tincher: Yes.
Miller: Do you have family there, like relatives, like your parents or brothers, sisters, cousins?
Tincher: My dad and my mom live in United States. My brother, who also has American passport, him and his family, his wife and 18-month-old son, right now is in Ukraine. They cannot leave just because the line to get in on the border to Poland is absolutely insane. People are staying on the streets. You have to walk 15 miles to border just because the lines are so big.
Miller: And you said he has an American passport?
Tincher: Yes. He currently lives in Pennsylvania. And on February 15 he flew to Ukraine. You know, we are from Ukraine. We have family there. My sister-in-law has parents there, has a brother and sister there. And they have not seen, you know, the grandkid yet?
Miller: Is he required to stay because of this requirement that all Ukrainian men 18 to 60 should not leave?
Tincher: No because Ukraine doesn't have a dual citizenship. He has an American passport. So, he's not, you know, required to be mobilized. It's just hard to get out. Because, you know, when you have a kid, staying outside for 48 or 72 hours, it's super hard. So, they just decided to stay. They moved to countryside where they have access to basic things like food and water.
Miller: What would you say to people in Ukraine now, you know, when their country's been invaded? And there's fighting going on? What would you say to them? Or what are you thinking now?
Tincher: What I have been thinking is just pray, try to stay safe. Yesterday, I was texting with my girlfriend and she is like, "Iryna, it's weird feeling. But after you sit in a basement over and over, when they said it's going to be air attack, and they're going to start shooting with missiles and it didn't happen, you start kind of getting very numb and not even care any more." And I just keep texting them and say, “Please be alert all the time. You cannot get numb. You need to stay strong. Because if you're going to start giving ups the danger will come.”
Miller: Thank you very much for speaking with me, Iryna, I'm sure it's a difficult time for you.
Tincher: I really appreciate you reaching out to me. Thank you. Bye-bye.
Miller: I've been talking with Iryna Tincher, who's from Ukraine and now lives in Owensboro. I'm Rhonda Miller in Bowling Green.