Olena Kontsevych (Olena Kontsevych)) lives in Odessa, a Ukrainian city on the Black Sea. She is a journalist and DJ of the First TV channel of Odessa, and a translator from Balkan languages. We are talking on the fifteenth day of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. There is only 120 kilometers between Odessa and the Russian troops advancing west from the previously annexed Crimea, who have already taken the port city of Kherson and reached Mykolaw.
Odessa has a strategic military and economic importance for Ukraine and is a key exit to the foreign country and - is preparing for a possible attack.
"In just a few days, Odessa turned from a tourist center into a city ready to repel an attack." The streets are blocked, there are checkpoints at every step, police patrols stop saboteurs. Every day I talk to volunteers, soldiers, the city has enough food and weapons. We are ready for anything," says Olena Koncevič.
"For now, it is relatively calm, shops are open, there are no interruptions in the supply of water and electricity." We have everything necessary. But we are a port city, a port, a very desirable piece for Russia, Russian troops are constantly bombing Nikolaev and Kherson in our vicinity in order to reach Odessa."
He describes that sirens sound several times a day, and that "people are therefore forced to seek shelter" and that "there are many saboteurs who spread propaganda, plant explosives in barracks and strategic facilities." Several times there were explosions near the airport."
Oleana Koncević and the First TV channel where she works "since the beginning of Putin's invasion" inform the citizens about everything that is happening in the live program. "We have direct transmissions from other cities of Ukraine, we are in contact with political scientists, economists, social workers from all over the world."
"We are horrified by the amount of lies in the pro-Russian media." It is clear to everyone except them today that the war has been going on in Ukraine for two weeks and people are dying every day," he emphasizes.
She could cite countless stories from the field.
"In Kherson, citizens stopped an enemy transporter with their bare hands." A friend of mine who is currently in the armed forces near occupied Kharkiv records voice messages every day to his little daughter who fled abroad with her mother and is used to talking to him before going to bed. A few days ago I met my pensioner neighbor, he was carrying a bag. I asked where he was going. He says, I have some pants and warm sweaters left from my late son, I don't have money to help the army, I'll take at least that to our boys, so they don't get cold on guard duty. There are hundreds of such stories every day."
Since the war started, she has never been in a shelter. "I'm not afraid," he says.
"Keeping a cool head and a warm heart is the best we can do now." Odessa is a city of witty people, and even the war can't change that," he says and recalls that near Odessa, the cry "F*ck the Russian ship!" arose and became viral. It was uttered by Ukrainian soldiers when they sank "Vasili Bykov" on March 7, which attacked the small Snake Island.
Even today, Odessa is, as always, "a city with many cultures, we speak different languages." Odessa is Ukraine, yellow-blue flags are everywhere, they are even painted on the walls."
"We chose the future of a democratic state back in 2013 and we don't want any rescue or help from Russia." Any coalition with a country that still dreams of returning to the Soviet Union is impossible, especially now. That would be a step to nowhere, a step towards the darkness and fear in which Russia lives, and where there is fear and lies, there is no future," says Olena Kontsevich.
And he says: "Ukraine is my country, I'm not running away anywhere." Those who came to us uninvited with weapons will escape."
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