Ukraine is far from Davis, but we reduce the distance today on Davisville by talking with Vince Sturla (pictured in the KDRT studio), a producer for the NBC News program Dateline who has lived in Davis for years. He went to Ukraine last fall to report on the war with Russia, and tells us what he saw.
“These are tough, tough, tough people,” he says. “I was there in November. It was snowing, it was cold, and these relentless missile strikes had really had an impact as far as taking out the electrical infrastructure across the country. [In Kyiv,] folks were typically without power for 20 hours a day. That’s light, electricity, everything.
“A lot of people live in high-rise buildings. So, no elevators. You might have to go up 20 flights of stairs. And down again. That’s just life. With a flashlight. But without complaint. The whole thing is, ‘well, just think with what our guys are putting up with at the front. This is nothing. I can do this.’
“Restaurants would stay open. You had two menus. A power-out menu, and another for when we do have power. It seemed like everyone you spoke to has lost somebody through direct combat, stepping on a mine, unexploded ordnances, executed during an occupation.”
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