Paul Gavrilyuk, a University of St. Thomas theology professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, left Ukraine in 1993 to pursue graduate studies in the U.S. But his parents, in their 70s, still reside in Ukraine, as do other family members, he told KSTP-TV News.
From the story: Gavrilyuk says several family members have seen the impact of the invasion up close.
He says a Russian tank came within 10 yards of his brother’s apartment building in Kyiv, but did not fire, and that his aunt lives in the same Kyiv suburbs where a bridge was blown up. Gavrilyuk says Ukrainians are being pulled in two directions: concern for the vulnerable and defiance against the Russians.
“We are dealing with an unprecedented act of aggression in terms of its size,” Gavrilyuk says. “There is a martial law imposed, and people from time to time are effectively asked to shelter in place.”
