Ukraine is one of the world’s hot spots as the country faces an international situation with Russia. For virtually everyone on campus, it’s nothing more than a current event, but for senior Kateryna Kruchko, it’s more. Having lived in the Ukraine early in her life, she is closely tied to the issues there.

“[My] biological mom and stepdad as well as friends [still live there],” Kruchko said. “A lot of people are dying, especially younger people, teenagers, moms and kids, so [the issue] is very personal.”

But despite her ties to Ukraine, it’s hard to get information.

“Now they’ve turned off the electricity so there’s no way to get in touch,” Kruchko said. “Honestly you really can’t know unless you’re living there because news likes to manipulate the truth just to make it more interesting.”

To make things even more difficult, she has family on both sides of the conflict.

“My aunt is Russian,” Kruchko said. “So I can’t really take one [side] or the other, but I have family that takes only Russian side and then only Ukrainian side with no in between.”

Regardless of the sides, Kruchko doesn’t like what she is seeing.

“[The war] is all over the place,” Kruchko said. “[I’ve been] asked how I felt about it, I mean honestly not very good.”