Trip to Kyiv: Chronicle from Ukraine at war
ByRuben Tzanoff
A delegation from the International Socialist League (LIS) traveled to kyiv to participate in the Conference of the Ukrainian Socialist League (LSU). made direct contact with: leaders of the Independent Labor Protection Union “Zahist Pratsi”, Social Organizations, labor activists, students and with the population. He visited bombed cities and felt the will of resistance of the Ukrainian people against the Russian imperialist invasion. He also saw first-hand the growing popular suffering caused by the war, capitalist greed and the government. We share with our readers the experiences of the trip made byAlejandro Bodart, leader of the LIS and the MST Argentina in the FIT-U and Rubén Tzanoff, of Socialism and Freedom – Spanish State.
The trip started on Wednesday 22 in Warsaw, Poland and finished in the same city on Tuesday 28. A short stay in the Polish capital was long enough to visit the site where thewarsaw ghetto, previous passage of the Jewish population towards the extermination camps ofTreblinka. A reminder of the barbarism to which imperialist capitalism leads, in this case, in its Nazi version.
A long journey full of vicissitudes and contrasts
We leave from the stationWarsaw Eastern, on a train arranged for the transfer of refugees to and from kyiv. On the way there were long stops at the border points, both for document control and for the cumbersome change of the bogies where the wheels of each wagon are fixed, operation that allows transit between tracks of different width. In the path, naked eye, we perceive the contrast between the reality of Poland and Ukraine at war. Already in the territory of the "breadbasket of the world" we cross large extensions of field destined for agricultural production. After almost twenty hours of travel, we arrived at Kyiv-Pasazhyrskyi station, where our comrades from LSU greeted us.
A city prepared to defend itself from the invasion
In Kiev, flagged blue and yellow, the brief moments when life returns to “normal”, fade abruptly with every step. In the streets civilians mingle with young soldiers. At gas stations there are queues to fill the scarce fuel available. Public buildings are protected with sandbags. At strategic points there are casemates with armed soldiers andczech hedgehogs. Several times a day sirens sound announcing missile attacks, forcing the population to take refuge.
Fighting in the south and east, the whole country under threat of fire
Our visit coincided with the upsurge in fighting in Donetsk, Luhansk and other regions. And with the intensification of the bombing of the civilian population in cities far from the combat fronts, como Kremenchuk, Járkiv and Odesa. kyiv was also bombed. We were able to perceive up close the smoke and the smell of gunpowder caused by the impact of Russian missiles on a neighboring apartment building, en el distrito de Shevchenkivskyi; also the operation to rescue the wounded from the rubble. The combat fronts are in the South and East, but all of Ukraine is under threat from Russian missiles.
Destruction in Irpin, massacres in Bucha
We visited the cities of Irpin and Bucha which, located just 30 km from the center of Kiev, had been occupied by Russian troops before regrouping in the South and East. On the road to Gostomel, Irpin city, we heard the sad testimony of the neighbors narrating the destruction of the residences that we were observing.
Later we leave for Bucha. We were in Vokzal'na street, in which Russian tanks shot at defenseless people, like a man riding a bicycle, an image that traveled the world. And we went to the San Andrés Church, where mass graves were dug to bury the bodies of executed people, that were picked up from home or off the street.
A rich exchange of views, with strong worker and student presence
The most important activity we participated in was the LSU Conference, with militants, long-time union activists and young students. Comrades who could not get to kyiv participated by Zoom. First, We were invited to speak Rubén Tzanoff and Alejandro Bodart, whose speech you can read at the link: “Excerpts from the words of Alejandro Bodart”. After a short interim quarter we return to the hall to hear Comrade Oleksandr Paly's report., editor-in-chief of the newspaper “Ukrainian Aviation Builder” of the Aviation Workers Union, who gave an in-depth report on the social situation and prospects, reflecting a great knowledge of the labor and trade union movement. He pointed to the neoliberal measures carried out by the Zelensky government, inspired by the ideas of Soros, and provided data on a serious economic and social situation, stained by capitalist greed. His report was so rich that we interviewed him to deepen it, you can read it in the link "Interview with Oleksandr Paly".
Several young people who have been militating for a long time and others who are just organizing themselves participated in the Conference.. LSU has some comrades who, Regrettably, they couldn't make it to the event. It was a rich exchange of ideas in which all those present expressed their opinions, about which we publish “Apostilles”.
LIS present at major world events
We take advantage of the trip to continue, by different ways, the difficult contact with other comrades from Eastern Europe. They provided us with valuable information on current affairs in Russia and Belarus since the war, which we share in the links: Will Belarus go to war?” Y“Russia: Gagged malaise” We share the last hours in kyiv chatting with new friends. In summary, we saw a people willing to fight for their freedom. We left satisfied with the activity carried out and with the conviction of being in the right trench. Optimistic for the presence of the LIS in the great events of world reality.
All notes below
Trip to Kyiv: Excerpts from the words of Alejandro Bodart
Trip to Kyiv: Interview with Oleksandr Paly
Trip to Kyiv: Will Belarus enter the war? Will it be annexed to Russia??
