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\u201cThis is not the Ukraine of 2014, we are ready, we are together, we are proud,\u201d Ollie told Paul when the pair were last able to speak on the phone.<\/p>\n
Casey says Ollie is referring to a nation that has been galvanised since 2014, when Russian forces invaded Crimea to the south of Ukraine.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve relayed everything that the Australian government is doing, like sending aid, the humanitarian aspect, visas, they\u2019re grateful for all that but right now it\u2019s survival mode,\u201d Paul said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll of them emphasise the impact of the support they are getting from the world and it\u2019s giving them that extra lift.\u201d<\/p>\n
Casey and Paul travelled to Melbourne last Sunday where they took part in a rally to show solidarity for Ukrainians against Russian aggression.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know it doesn\u2019t make a difference but, putting a flag up, going to a rally, they all add up to mean so much to the family and soldiers there \u2026 we\u2019re sending those images back to Ukraine,\u201d Casey said.<\/p>\n
The last time Paul and Casey saw Ollie in person was when they travelled back to Ukraine with him after his six-month stay in Australia.<\/p>\n
\u201cOllie was what they call a post-Chernobyl kid, poor health, but he put on eight kilos here, learnt to surf, got a tan, and got to know the Geelong community,\u201d Casey said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have a brother who turns 18 in two months\u2019 time, you can\u2019t help but reflect on how lucky we are here.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe thought that Ollie could be called up this week is harrowing, I know he\u2019s a man now \u2026 but we still see him as that 14-year-old who stayed with us.\u201d<\/p>\n
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IT\u2019S been nine years since Geelong\u2019s Paul Kaminskyj had his then 14-year-old Ukrainian cousin Oleg come and live with him. Now communication between the two is via guarded WhatsApp messages for fear of having their conversations intercepted by Russia authorities. \u2018Ollie\u2019, as Paul and his partner Casey call him, is back home in Ukraine and […]<\/p>\n