International students from Ukraine are studying in Toronto while worrying about the safety of their family and friends in their hometown.
Dariia Stupak has only slept for three hours since the explosions began.
“Last night, I was going to bed at 10 p.m. I decided to watch the news in Ukraine afterwards, and my friend started writing that there were explosions in Kyiv,” she told Humber News.
Stupak is studying international business at Humber College. She hopes to see her loved ones at the end of April, once classes are over.
“I am all alone in Canada right now. All of my family, friends and loved ones are in Ukraine.”
“I am anxious because it is not clear if only military installations, airports and other things will be shelled and destroyed. At the moment, there is no direct threat to the civilian population, but missiles, warheads and other things also hit houses, hit the roads where people move around,” said Stupak.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian President Vladimir Putin aimed to destroy his state.
An adviser to the Ukrainian presidential office said Russian forces had captured the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, just 90 kilometres north of the capital, and Hostomel airport in the Kyiv region.
At least 40 people have been killed and dozens were wounded by the Russian shelling, an adviser to the Ukrainian presidential office said.
Humber student Marichka Motsyk said that although her parents and sister are in Toronto with her, the rest of her family is in her hometown, Ternopil, western Ukraine.
“I am very concerned about them and the situation in Ukraine right now. We pray and are on a call all the time. Right now, they are safe. Ternopil has not been hit by Russia yet and hopefully will never be,” she said.
Motsyk told Humber News that none of her family or friends thought Russia would attack Ukraine. She found out about the invasion after she saw an Instagram post about the open fire in Kharkiv.
“That was the moment when I lost my peace. Since then I was awake until 5:30 a.m. today. On my laptop, I have live news from Ukraine non-stop.”
“Russia is trying to sow panic and scare people. That’s what they want from us. We need to stay strong, calm with a pure mind,” Motsyk said.
Humber Response
Humber College President Chris Whitaker sent a message to students on Thursday.
“Our thoughts are with the people of Ukraine and Russia, and we hope for a quick and peaceful resolution to this act of aggression,” Whitaker said.
He added, “the Humber community supports the many students and employees at Humber with direct and indirect ties to Ukraine, Russia and the rest of Europe.”
Amandeep S. Hayer, a lawyer specializing in immigration, told Humber News that Ukrainian international students should focus on applying for and receiving a work visa should they want to remain in Canada past the end date on their student visa.
Hayer, a lawyer for Sedai Law Office in British Columbia, said international students are able to apply for a work visa to remain in Canada up to a maximum length of three years.
Students in danger of being sent back to Ukraine could also apply to remain in the country based on humanitarian grounds, such as through refugee status.
Questions posed to Canada’s immigration department were not answered in time for publication.