On the night of February 24, the life of the Norwegian-Ukrainian turned upside down. The invasion of Ukraine was ongoing.
There were reports of artillery fire and explosions in Kiev and Kharkiv.
At the same time, Ostop Pasternak woke up to a phone call from his mother.
– She cried on the other end. Still could not sleep that night. I was lying in bed reading the news. I have a constant internal turmoil that will not go away.
Chronology: This happened in Ukraine
– We are all one
The 27-year-old has lived in Oslo for the past six years, but was born and raised in Djibouti with his Ukrainian parents.
He is a Norwegian and Ukrainian citizen. And very proud.
– We are united as a unit. We are one, we help each other. This is totally crazy. “I was never proud to be from Ukraine,” he tells Dopplet.
The 27-year-old thinks he is too far away from his homeland. In a way, he wanted to be where he is now.
– Sitting here in Norway feels pointless. You can not contribute in any way. It is far away.
Close contact with a relative
Pasternak’s parents come from a small town in the province of Sirkhozi, which borders the capital, Kiev, to the north.
Reported Friday morning Fighting between Ukrainian and Russian forces north of Kiev. Eyewitnesses described shootings and explosions in the Minsk Massif and Obolon areas.
A few hours later, the Russian Defense Ministry confirmed that they had entered Kiev.
Pasternak’s cousin works as a doctor in the middle of Sergosi. Although he has admitted patients with injuries and serious gunshot wounds in recent days, he is trying to stay positive.
– We talk every day. He says he tries to take it all in with a smile and he wants to be positive. Even if the following people disappear completely, destructive thoughts cannot be eliminated, says Pasternak, and continues:
– My cousin is now out to mobilize outside the local military. All the same age people I am accustomed to have been told to come.
– Unity
The 27-year-old believes he should only trust Ukraine himself.
– Putin is a tyrant. He takes away our freedom.
Towards Putin: – Terrible
During a press conference on Thursday Jens Stoltenberg said NATO condemned Russia’s attack.
– This is a terrible war act. Russia’s leaders must take full responsibility. The NATO leader condemned the attack and called on Russia to withdraw its attack immediately.
Pasternak is tired of hearing “fame” from other Europe and the United States.
– They say they condemn the attack every day, but what does it help? It does not help anything. We can only trust ourselves. But Ukraine bears. We see a serious unity and everyone contributes.
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