Gatineau woman returns to Ukraine to aid in war against Russia

A permanent Canadian resident living in Gatineau says she has chosen to return to her home country of Ukraine to aid in the war against Russia.

Virginia Dronova, 39, tells CTV News Ottawa she returned to Ukraine five days before the invasion.

"My friends and colleagues in Canada, they were trying to talk me out of this," Dronova said. "I was also a person of action and I wanted to be back."

The Gatineau resident says she had taken an extended leave from her job in Canada following the death of her mother from COVID-19 about one month ago, allowing her the opportunity to travel back to Europe.

Dronova says she was in Kyiv the first two nights when Russian attacks began. She has since moved west, but would not reveal her location, fearing for her safety.

"There's no place safe in Ukraine anymore," says Dronova.

"Last night I was going to give an interview and the air raid sirens started to sound and I had to go to the shelter," Dronova recalls. "Sometimes when I am too tired, too exhausted, then if I here air raid sirens then we just place ourselves in hallways of apartments if it's further away from the windows and we put blankets on the floor and that's how we sleep."

Dronova tells CTV News before moving to Canada, she was an advisor to a member of parliament in Ukraine, and a specialist in international cooperation. Now back in her home country, she is using those skills to gather information, supplies, and weapons for locals and defence forces.

"My part is to communicate with the partners in the west, communicate with journalists and ask for help, cry for help," Dronova says. "The rest of us, we are just trying to contribute to this fight, to contribute to our defence, and to make sure that this beast does not swallow us all."

She says Ukraine is dealing with Russian President Vladimir Putin and not only fighting for their country, but the rest of the world. Dronova is hoping Canadians will take a hard look at what more they can do to help Ukraine.

"I could be sitting there in Gatineau, in Ottawa, just in the comfort of my nice apartment and just watch. And then switch off the TV and go have some tea in the evening and discuss the horror that takes place somewhere far away," Dronova.

"But I'm here."

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