UPDATE: Local neighbors send message to Putin

  • Diana Bostan and her mother Fatima Bostanova joined the demonstration in Santa Monica on Friday, Feb. 25 to protest the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Left: Diana Bostan and Fatima Bostanova. They now live in Piñon Pines. Right: Vadim and Natalya (Natalie) Zadykian in Moscow. They now live in Pine Mountain Club.

    Diana Bostan and her mother Fatima Bostanova joined the demonstration in Santa Monica on Friday, Feb. 25 to protest the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Left: Diana Bostan and Fatima Bostanova. They now live in Piñon Pines. Right: Vadim and Natalya (Natalie) Zadykian in Moscow. They now live in Pine Mountain Club.

Below this story is an update with ways you can help provide aid to Ukrainians.

Russian tanks rolled into Kyiv in Ukraine February 25. Thousands of cluster bombs began exploding the apartments of Ukrainian families; 875,000 refugee mothers and children spilled over the border into Poland within days. Now 10 million women and children are on the move, as refugees. Western arms, sanctions and volunteer soldiers flooded into the shooting, to fortify Ukrainian resistance fighters battling the Russian invasion.

The Mountain Enterprise editor, Patric Hedlund, who worked in Citizen Diplomacy media projects in Moscow and Kyiv 1987-1990 (as Ukraine was becoming independent from the USSR), quickly asked mountain neighbors born in Russia—now living in Piñon Pines and Pine Mountain Club—to tell what their own families and friends are seeing in Russia and Ukraine. Social Media influencer Diana Bostan is an American citizen. Her notes are combined here with comments by Natalya (Natalie) and Vadim Zadykian (now British citizens).

Scroll down to see ways you can provide aid to Ukrainians.

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By Diana Bostan, Piñon Pines, with Vadim and Natalie Zadykian, Pine Mountain Club

My name is Diana Bostan, and I live in Piñon Pines. I was born in Russia in 1984 and raised in the Caucasus mountains in southern Russia. In 2010 I moved to the United States for school and better work opportunities. Four years ago I brought my mother, Fatima Bostanova, to America through my American naturalization, and our little family is excited to be a part of this wonderful community in the mountains of Southern California.

When the invasion started, I texted fellow Russian and Ukrainian bloggers on Instagram, and on Friday, Feb. 25, we attended a demonstration in Santa Monica. Some people can squeeze some accurate information into Russian citizens’ attention.

Back in Pine Mountain Club, Vadim Zadykian, a software programmer with the education of a historian and philosopher, also spoke about the media censorship that is confusing Russian people.

“The general public are not highly aware of what is going on, but noticing Google Pay is off, and Facebook media is not turned on. There is a ban on all flights. All cash transfers outside of Russia are banned.

“There is no panic but information is rationed in Russia, so right now they prohibit all news media from telling the truth or saying something not in line with the official version.

“You cannot use the words ‘War in Ukraine,’ ‘conflict’ or ‘invasion.’ You can only say ‘limited special military operation,’ and ‘a humanitarian mission.’

“The government said the purpose of this is ‘to secure the Russian security’ and ‘to save lives.’ They do not talk about bombing Kyiv, speak only of Eastern Ukraine, and say they are protecting the Russian people from the oppressive regime, and that they are there to protect the Ukranian peoples’ right to vote.

“That is the official propaganda they are telling people. They are saying that NATO and the U.S. are supporting the ‘Nazi regime.’

“This is what I read and what I heard from my friends. But [it is possible] some of the Russian oligarchs are trying to negotiate peace, they are against this war.”

How Can We Help?

Diana Bostan resumes:

My ultimate goal is to help people [inside and outside Russia] to see a broader picture and encourage them to analyze all the information that they receive and comprehend this problem from a different perspective, to experience some empathy for their neighboring country and fellow human beings.

All the info on how to help Ukraine is on my blog on Instagram @Bostan_Diana. Please look for highlight “Help Ukraine.”

Update on Invasion

The Breaking News site www.MountainEnterprise.com will carry excerpts from Diana Bostan’s blog, with updates related to the war in Ukraine.

By Tuesday, as we are preparing to go to press, a 40-mile-long convoy of Russian tanks, rocket launchers, heavy artillery and soldiers is bearing down on the capital of Kyiv, from which Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, is encouraging his nation to resist, and calling on all other nations to help stop this invasion.

From our own Mountain Community, Vadim Zadykian in PMC spoke about Belarus being a captive nation now, serving as Putin’s puppet. He gave a summary of things being hidden from the Russian public:

“I am sure that Russian soldiers are not enthusiastic about this war. It is not like fighting the Germans in World War II. It is another thing to invade a friendly country…. So the morale is bad among Russian troops…. Generally speaking, the Russian Army is poorly trained conscripts.

“There are small, highly trained regiments, special forces for special [tactical] purposes. SPETESNAZ (like Navy Seals) are very well trained, but are in limited number.”

A Prayer To Go Home

Natalie Zadykian, also in PMC, asked that we leave you with these thoughts:

“Putin did not consult with us about his sick ideas. We have a lot of Ukrainian friends, and we understand they are our brothers and sisters.

“I was so shocked that Russia is closed now. Some of our friends would like to leave Russia and now they can leave only through Turkey and China.

“People are not panicking, but panic can start any moment if there are food problems.”

She said that medical doctors who are rushing to the conflict zones to help Ukrainian fighters need bulletproof vests.

In summary Zadykian said:

“I would like to invite people around the world to pray that the Russian and Ukrainian and Belarus soldiers are all able to return to their homes safely, as soon as possible.”

Photo captions:

Left: Piñon Pines’ Diana Bostan with mother Fatima Bostanova; Right: PMC’s Vadim and Natalya (Natalie) Zadykian

Diana Bostan and her mom joined demonstrators in Santa Monica February 25.

Instagram profile

UPDATE: Here is a list of several organizations through which people can help Ukraine from the U.S., as compiled by Diana Bostan.

Top-Rated Charities Providing Aid In Ukraine:

Team Rubicon and their organization, including physicians, is in Poland meeting with WHO, USAID and UNOCHA to coordinate support as the situation continues to unfold in Ukraine.
Samaritan’s Purse is responding to the growing needs in Eastern Europe as fighting continues in Ukraine. A Disaster Assistance Response Team has been deployed to assess how the organization might be able to meet the urgent needs of displaced families fleeing in search of safety.

Mercy Corps is on the ground in Romania and Poland, assessing the most urgent humanitarian needs in Ukraine and the region. They anticipate providing cash assistance as well as supporting local organizations that know the community’s needs best.

Lutheran World Relief is responding to families in crisis. Their teams are reaching out to local organizations that have direct access inside Ukraine and who are welcoming refugees fleeing to neighboring countries.

HIAS is closely monitoring the situation in Ukraine and neighboring countries and is responding with emergency humanitarian assistance to those who are displaced.

Church World Service is responding to meet the needs emerging from the crisis, though many details remain unknown. Their staff and partners in Europe are carefully monitoring the unfolding emergency. They are in deep conversation with their teams who work with migrants and refugees in Balkan nations, their local partners in the region, and international coalitions to assess emerging needs and to create response plans accordingly.

Doctors Without Borders (Medecins Sans Frontieres) is working to set up emergency response activities in the country and dispatching teams to Poland, Moldova, Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia. Teams are also ready to respond in Russia and Belarus. In the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, teams have distributed medical kits to treat war-wounded people. The charity has also provided telemedicine training for trauma care for 30 surgeons from eastern Ukraine. 

International Medical Corps is helping civilians affected by the war in Ukraine, expanding its efforts in Ukraine and in neighboring countries to provide relief to the millions of people, including refugees, affected by the war, and is preparing to work with health agencies and local partners to provide the following relief services:

(1) Primary and emergency health services from medical professionals, including specialist physicians, general practitioners and nurses.

(2) Mental health and psychosocial support critical for people affected by war.

(3) Gender-based violence response services and increasing protection of women and children who face risks during conflict. 

(4) COVID-19 prevention and awareness services, to keep refugee and displaced populations safe from the pandemic. 

Care USA is aiming to reach 4 million people with immediate emergency assistance, such as food, water, hygiene kits, psychological support, and cash assistance to aid families in Ukraine who are fleeing violence, and is prioritizing women and girls, families, and the elderly.

Catholic Relief Services is providing shelter, hot meals, and transport to safe areas for people experiencing violence in Ukraine, as well as hygiene supplies, fuel to keep warm, counseling support and more.

Direct Relief & Direct Relief Foundation recently announced that it will commit $500,000 to support health efforts in Ukraine and surrounding countries absorbing refugees fleeing the violence and disruption. The organization is also in communication with regional organizations to coordinate medical support for refugee communities. Direct Relief is making its inventory of medical aid available and has humanitarian channels in Europe for further response. 

International Rescue Committee is working to quickly mobilize resources that will provide life-saving support to civilians forced to flee their homes. Their teams are on the ground in Poland, and they are working with their local partners in both Poland and Ukraine. IRC will work to respond where they are needed the most and with the services that are needed urgently.

Medical Teams International is working with its partners to determine a response. As the humanitarian needs in the region become clearer in the coming days and weeks, Medical Teams International will communicate the nature of its initial response and how people can help.

Mercy Corps is mobilizing a team to the region to assess where help is most needed. Here is what they know right now:

(1) 2.9 million Ukrainians were already in need of urgent humanitarian assistance prior to the current escalation of conflict, and at least 1.5 million are displaced within their country.

(2) As the conflict expands across Ukraine, we anticipate a large-scale humanitarian crisis for the country, beyond the scope of aid operations currently there.

(3) Mercy Corps is particularly concerned about the elderly, who make up one-third of people in need of assistance, and people with disabilities. They’ve seen these populations at risk in other areas of conflict around the world.

(4) The current conflict has already initiated large-scale displacement, and could lead to the displacement of millions of civilians who need basic services and support after fleeing for safety within Ukraine and to neighboring countries.

Operation USA is mobilizing to provide material aid support to groups providing on-the-ground support to refugees in Poland and nearby countries. At this time, they are calling on existing partnerships, as well as establishing new frontline partners, to expedite the delivery of aid where it is needed most. 

Project Hope initial response involves more than two tons of essential medicines and medical supplies that are being actively shipped to affected areas. Project Hope is focused on providing health and humanitarian assistance to Ukrainians, including refugees in neighboring countries fleeing the ongoing invasion. They are in contact with the WHO Health Cluster and other partners on the ground in Ukraine, who have already noted critical needs in primary health care.

Save the Children is urgently calling on all parties to the conflict to agree to an immediate cessation of hostilities to reduce the risk to children’s lives and wellbeing. Save the Children has been operating in Ukraine since 2014, including in the conflict-impacted regions of Donetsk and Luhansk. This includes supporting their access to education, providing psychosocial support, distributing winter kits and hygiene kits, and providing cash grants to families for basic needs.

United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), the humanitarian relief arm of Global Ministries, is in communication with partners in the region and actively exploring the coordination of humanitarian response in Ukraine.

United States Fund for UNICEF has been working since the beginning of the conflict to provide psychological assistance and mine safety training to children, young people and their parents. UNICEF is continuing to work across eastern Ukraine to scale up lifesaving programs For children, including safe trucking water to conflict-affected areas; prepositioning health, hygiene, and emergency education supplies as close as possible to communities near the line of contact; and working with municipalities to ensure immediate help for children and families in need. 

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