Ukraine college students attending local professor's online class, share their fears, challenges

College students in Ukraine say that any support sent overseas is appreciated

Olha Droniak one of the many students attending Ukrainian Catholic University forced to go to school online after Russia invaded, living with her family in lviv.

FOX 2 - Eighteen-year-old Olha Droniak is one of the many students attending Ukrainian Catholic University. She has been forced to go to school online after Russia invaded.

She and another Ukraine resident, Nazar Dudchak, attend a virtual class from a Ukrainian American professor from the Metro Detroit area. They both spoke on Zoom to FOX 2 describing their living conditions and challenges, overseas amidst the Russian invasion.

Ohla is with her family in Lviv, considered a safer city because it is close to the Poland border. In addition to her school work, she helps her country. In one photo she shared, she is knitting a camouflage net for the Ukraine Army.

"I personally heard the horrible sounds of explosions," she said. "There are more then 2,000 civilians dead and today Russia attacked east, south, and north of Ukraine – tomorrow it could bomb my city and my flat. It is really hard to sleep."

"You can’t really sleep at night because you have to go to shelter, and in shelter there is not that much space, there is not that much fresh air, there is not that much space to sleep," said Nazar.

An early wake-up call for online college classes hits hard, when Nazar says sirens blare most of the night.

His father is in the military - fighting the Russians in an unknown location, but the 17-year-old says he is trying to be useful - helping those who need it most.

"I have been volunteering and the Lviv Coordination Center –it is a place where people coalesce, and we help them in all possible ways," he said. "Some of them seek asylum, some seek humanitarian aid, some need nutrition for their kids, and medicine."

Help continues here in Metro Detroit. Members of the Ukrainian-American Crisis Response Committee is preparing to ship medical equipment and humanitarian aid to support Ukraine.

Supplies are being sent by boat and by plane - the items donated from area hospitals and generous individuals all over Metro Detroit.

"Our main goal is to provide supplies necessary for wounded civilians, refugees, displaced persons, and for wounded warriors at home in Ukraine, and also for their kids," said Olena Danyluk, Ukrainian-American Crisis Response Committee.

"As a an American veteran of the United States military, a lot of folks from the Ukraine military served and helped the United States in Afghanistan and Iraq. And it is our turn now, to help them," said Andrew "Rocky" Raczkowski, a retired U.S. Army colonel.

Nazar and Olha say help and generosity from all over the world is welcomed and appreciated - because the fight for freedom is far from over.

"Despite that fact that our army is resisting very good, a large numbers of civilians dying every day," said Olha.

If you want to sign up for information on the National Day of Protest and how you can help the Ukrainian Freedom Fighters, go to supportfreedomnow.com