WEATHERLY, Pa. — Ever since Russia invaded Ukraine, Weatherly resident Marina Kuchar has been constantly checking the news, phoning friends, and keeping in close contact with her parents. They are on the ground in Ukraine and can't leave.
"You are in denial at first," she said. "It's a shocking experience."
Kuchar of Weatherly said she's been living a nightmare watching as her native country of Ukraine is destroyed by Russian attacks.
She's increasingly concerned for her elderly parents, now stuck in a southern part of the country.
"We exchanged information with people who can come and check on him and my mom," she said. "So it's very hard."
As another round of negotiations begins, Kuchar asks the people of Russia to stand up to Putin.
"I pray to God and I call on them to change, to stop and turn their weapons down and help support the movement in their country to change their times, to change their regime," Kuchar said. "I would like to send a message to Russian people not to give up. There’s 150 million Russians and Putin’s army is way smaller. If all of them stand up, they can change their country."
Having grown up in then Soviet-controlled Ukraine, she understands the power of propaganda; a tool she said Russia is using.
"They always talk about the threat from the United States, from the west, from Europe; all the negative things coming from there," Kuchar said. "It's very difficult then, to have objective thinking, objective talking, and making decisions."
Kuchar believes Ukrainian democracy is at stake.
"The freedom that Ukrainians are building their country with those values will be just swiped off," Kuchar said. "All these years and now it's going back. It cannot happen."
She hopes to one day return to her native country and reunite with her parents.
"I hope my parents will be there," she said. "To see a totally different country, I can't imagine."
While Ukrainian forces have shown strength in fighting off Russian advances, Kuchar told Newswatch 16, the people of Russia have the power to change history.
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