‘I love these people’: Calgarian heads to front lines of Ukraine war

As fighting intensifies in Ukraine, a Calgarian is looking to be among the brave people defending their country from invading Russian forces.

Paul Hughes has been in the western city of Lviv since Friday, but is heading east and will be arriving in Kyiv to meet the battle head on.

“I’m on my way to engage,” Hughes told CityNews.

Waiting for bus to Kyiv pic.twitter.com/I8F03sn7qr

— Realign & shine (@PaulyHughes) March 4, 2022

Hughes, an anti-poverty activist in the city, is also a veteran of the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, and thinks he can offer some expertise to the ongoing fight.

When he gets to the capital city, he expects to be thrust directly into the action.

“All that I know is that I’m going to be picked up at a train station, and going directly to a unit, handed a weapon, and being deployed. The situation is deteriorating there rapidly,” he said. “I don’t know what to expect, but I expect the worst.”

Hughes will end up joining a growing contingent of international supporters who have gone into Ukraine and picked up a weapon to help fight. It is estimated that over 15,000 people have joined the so-called International Legion after Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy issued a call for anyone far and wide to enlist in the effort.

To this point, Hughes said he has been helping in any way possible as a flood of refugees have been streaming to the western end of the country to get away from the heaviest battles in cities such as Kyiv, Kherson, and Kharkiv.

People trying to leave Lviv. #yyc pic.twitter.com/4WvqqDzZE2

— Realign & shine (@PaulyHughes) March 5, 2022

“It’s devastating to see what’s happening here, I’ve seen maybe 100,000 refugees in the last three days. Half of which, I think, are children. Has to be half, it’s just child after child after child. It’s just an endless, unrelenting flow of humanity out of the train station. It’s overwhelming emotionally to see that.”

Hughes has been giving out food and water, helping people carry luggage, talking to people, and just offering emotional support to help them cope with the incredibly difficult situation.

“I think I’ve had about four hours of sleep in the past four days.”

4 large rooms in Rzeszow station, all packed w Ukrainian refugees. Buses every 15-20 minutes w ppl from all over Ukraine.
No men. Lots of children. Very strong & proud people.
It’s overwhelming.
Sitrep: Getting ride to border, 50km away.#UkraineRussiaWar #yyc #ableg #cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/aY6htQ62cG

— Realign & shine (@PaulyHughes) March 4, 2022

He said the people in Lviv are incredibly dug in and hoping they can escape the worst of the fighting, but even as he leaves the area behind to get closer to the battles he will not forget about what he has seen from the Ukrainian people already.

“Any attack on the ground in this city is going to be … my god it’s going to be ugly. The people are incredibly resilient,” he said. “We freak out about so many things in the west, and they just take it in stride. I love these people, I absolutely love their spirit.”

Hughes’ son drove him to the airport to kick off what he has called “the adventure of a lifetime”, and while this is an incredibly difficult process to experience for both himself and his family, he knows it is the right thing to do.

“What prompted me to go to Ukraine is Putin and what he is doing to the Ukrainian people. How he’s bullying the world and the misery he is causing, and the devastation to the Ukrainian people here, the beautiful people,” he said. “I don’t think anybody wants to see their loved ones heading off to a war zone or a conflict zone, it’s the same as anyone else. I don’t think they’re incredibly happy. But I think my son is proud.”

Hughes said he has been inspired to see the support coming from people in Calgary as well, urging everyone to continue backing Ukraine and doing all they can to boost aid to the people caught in the middle of the war.

He also helped start an organization called HUGS which gets food and other aid to people in Ukraine, as he has helped build a connection to groups in the country during his short time there. This has strengthened his resolve to keep Ukrainian people safe, and make huge sacrifices to assist in any way possible.

“They’re under such tremendous hardship. To cripple this country even more through warfare is criminal,” he said. “I’ve packed a lifetime in a week.”