HARRISBURG, Pa. — It’s been nearly two years of fighting in Ukraine, after Russia launched a full-scale invasion of the country.
Dozens of people, including refugee Iryna Gerasymchuk, took to the steps of the Pennsylvania State Capitol Complex Monday in a show of solidarity and to call for more support.
Gerasymchuk fled the capital of Kyiv, Ukraine when she was eight months pregnant.
"The hospital where I was supposed to give birth was destroyed by Russian bombs," she said. "So we made this decision to leave to save the lives of our family."
Hand-in-hand, she joined Central PA Supports Ukraine to form a human chain, as the group urged people to call on their representatives and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, to vote for the aid package from the Senate.
"I have a lot of friends who are protecting the country because they are in the military," Gerasymchuk said. "What I hear from them is that they really do need this help, these supplies."
It will be two years since Russia launched the full-scale invasion on Feb. 24. Dickinson College sophomore Denys Sharpylo, whose family is still in Ukraine, remembers it like it was yesterday.
"It was definitely a sleepless night, that night," Denys said. "Even the first days, weeks even was a really rough time."
Denys says leaders in Washington D.C. should continue to provide Ukrainian forces with military capabilities, saying Ukraine’s fight is also America’s fight.
"The support is crucial for Ukraine," Denys said. "Congress should vote for it as soon as possible."
Until then, the community will keep pushing for what Iryna hopes is a future in Ukraine for her son.
"He is Ukrainian in his soul," Gerasymchuk said. "We will make sure he will know his heritage."
In two years, images of the devastation left in the wake of Russian bombardments show the struggle the country is facing.
Estimations by the U.N. Office of Disarmament Affairs record more than 10,000 Ukrainian civilians killed, and roughly 20,000 more have been injured since the invasion on January 24, 2022.
6.47 million Ukrainian refugees have been recorded across the globe.
The fighting has also taken a large toll on Russian forces. Declassified U-S intelligence shows Russian casualties to be at least 315,000.
