After Ukraine claimed responsibility for bombing a bridge that was a critical supply route for Russians, Russian President Vladimir Putin retaliated by showering Ukraine with missiles over several days in mid-October. 

The war in Ukraine has slipped from the media spotlight in months past, as shock value and press frenzy begins to ebb. However, the war and its accompanying emotions remain ever-present to some members of our local community, especially those who have ties to Eastern Europe – members such as Tualatin IT specialist Sergey Bas, hailing from Belarus, who agreed to an interview again with The Wolf regarding recent developments in the war. 

Ukraine has begun to reclaim some of its lost territory – approximately 6,000 square miles – making this one of Russia’s greatest losses during the war, which has been a source of pride and optimism for many with Ukrainian ties. 

“We’re finally starting to win,” Bas said. “By spring next year, everything will be different.” 

Bas’s optimism didn’t stop at a potential Ukraine victory; he also expressed a hope that the ramifications of this war will be felt positively worldwide. 

“We’re healing through conflict,” Bas said, and he is not alone in this ideology. Many believe that this conflict will help draw lines in the sand and strengthen international relationships, especially those between the United States and Ukraine. 

“The two presidents accomplished the important task of reaffirming the guiding principles of the relationship and developing a framework for future cooperation,” the Center for Strategic and International Studies wrote in an article regarding a meeting between United States President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. 

Bas also emphasized that despite the brutality of the war, retaining humanity was of significant importance to himself as well as other Eastern Europeans. 

“Compassion above all,” he said.